CHOREBAGAN STAMPEDE PUTS KOLKATA POLICING UNDER SCRUTINY AS CROWD CONTROL RETURNS TO POLICE COMMAND

October 19, 2026

KOLKATA, OCTOBER 19: Crowd management at major Durga Puja gatherings in Kolkata is returning to the direct control of the police following the deadly Chorebagan stampede, amid allegations of failures in the handling of the crowd.

The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of the arrangements made to manage large numbers of pandal-hoppers, particularly at congested venues where narrow access routes and sudden surges in visitor movement can create dangerous conditions. The renewed police-led approach is intended to strengthen supervision and improve coordination during the remaining festive period.

The controversy has also raised questions about the effectiveness of the earlier crowd-control arrangements and the division of responsibility among the agencies involved. Allegations of police failure have intensified calls for a closer examination of how the gathering was managed and whether adequate preventive measures were in place.

The return of police command to crowd-control operations signals a renewed emphasis on direct supervision, deployment planning and the management of visitor movement at crowded Puja destinations. Preventing bottlenecks and responding quickly to overcrowding remain central challenges for the authorities.

The Chorebagan tragedy has therefore become a wider test of Kolkata’s festival-safety arrangements, placing the effectiveness of policing and the protection of pandal-hoppers at the centre of public concern.