CHOREBAGAN STAMPEDE: RETIRED HIGH COURT JUDGE TO LEAD THREE-MONTH PROBE INTO 19 DEATHS AND ALLEGED SAFETY FAILURES
October 22, 2026
KOLKATA, OCTOBER 22: The West Bengal government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a retired judge, to investigate the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal stampede of October 17, which claimed 19 lives and left at least 25 people injured. The inquiry will seek to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the tragedy, identify possible lapses in crowd management and emergency preparedness, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to the government order issued on October 21, the SIT will be chaired by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati. Its members include senior representatives from the state’s Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, police and Special Task Force, the state Home Department and the National Disaster Response Force in Kolkata. The team has been directed to submit its findings and recommendations within three months, with provision to bring in additional officers if necessary.
The investigation will examine how the initial crowd surge began and developed into a stampede. Investigators will assess the number of people present at the pandal, the movement of visitors, the flow of entry and exit, and whether the gathering exceeded the venue’s reasonably assessed safe capacity.
The inquiry will also consider whether overcrowding, adverse weather, rumours, public announcements, whistles, sudden movements or panic contributed to the disaster. Possible electrical failures and structural deficiencies will also be examined as part of the investigation.
CROWD MANAGEMENT, EMERGENCY EXITS AND OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY UNDER SCRUTINY
The SIT will inspect the adequacy of passages, barricades, stairways, gates and emergency exits at the venue. To reconstruct the incident, it will scrutinise CCTV footage, mobile phone videos, forensic findings, call records, police station and control room logs, medical records and other available physical evidence.
The team will assess the preparedness and response of the puja organisers, private security personnel, volunteers, police, ambulance services, hospitals, fire services and civic authorities. It will examine whether the necessary permissions were granted in accordance with applicable rules and whether crowd-control, disaster-management, evacuation and police-deployment plans were properly prepared and implemented.
The inquiry will seek to establish whether negligence, dereliction of duty or failures in coordination contributed to the tragedy. The investigation may examine the responsibilities of the organisers and relevant agencies, including the police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, fire and emergency services, and CESC.
NEW SAFEGUARDS FOR CROWDED DURGA PUJA VENUES
Beyond determining the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the SIT has been tasked with recommending safeguards for large Durga Puja gatherings in congested areas, particularly in north Kolkata, where narrow lanes can complicate crowd movement and emergency evacuation.
The inquiry will also examine the compensation and rehabilitation provided to the victims’ families.
The three-month investigation is expected to establish the sequence of events, assess potential failures in safety arrangements and determine whether any individual or agency failed to discharge its responsibilities. Its findings and recommendations will inform the state government’s response to the Chorebagan tragedy and the measures required to improve public safety at major religious gatherings.
