At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede at the Chor Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a sitting Calcutta High Court judge, would investigate the incident.
The stampede occurred around 7.30 pm on Saptami as crowds moved through a narrow bylane amid heavy rain and slippery roads. Eyewitnesses said people seeking shelter rushed towards the pandal, causing several to fall over one another.
Police detained 12 people, including puja committee members, private security personnel and those responsible for crowd management, according to PTI. Adhikari said an announcement by the organisers triggered the rush.
Compensation and Political Reactions
The state government announced ₹25 lakh and a government job for each deceased person’s family, while the injured will receive ₹5 lakh each.
Their medical expenses will also be covered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced assistance of ₹2 lakh for each deceased person’s family and ₹50,000 for each injured person.
Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Mamata Banerjee expressed condolences. Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelled his Sunday engagements during his two-day state visit and said he would visit the injured.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) blamed poor crowd management and inadequate police presence, questioning accountability and alleging a connection between the puja committee and a BJP MLA.
The Chor Bagan pandal was closed, followed by other crowded venues, including Chetla Agrani and Tala Prottay. Adhikari urged organisers to strengthen crowd-control and safety arrangements.
