SUVENDU ADHIKARI TAKES ₹25-LAKH RELIEF TO CHOREBAGAN STAMPEDE VICTIMS’ FAMILIES, PROMISES ACCOUNTABILITY
October 21, 2026
KOLKATA, OCTOBER 21: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday visited the homes of six people killed in the Chorebagan Durga Puja stampede, travelling across four districts to meet bereaved families and provide financial compensation of ₹25 lakh for each victim’s next of kin.
The visits took place on Navami, four days after the stampede at Chorebagan Sarbajanin Durgotsav Samiti in north Kolkata claimed 19 lives on the evening of October 17. Eighteen of the deceased were from West Bengal, while one victim belonged to Bihar.
Adhikari began his visits at Madhabdihi village in East Burdwan, where he met the families of Sandip Bej and Tagor Bej. He subsequently travelled to Arambagh in Hooghly to meet Piyali Pramanik’s family, Chakdah in Nadia to visit the family of Arati Sarkar, Baidyabati in Hooghly to meet Sreeparna Poddar’s relatives, and Bally in Howrah to visit the family of Akriti Kumar.
The chief minister said that although he could not bring back those who had died, he considered it his responsibility to support their families. He also highlighted his government’s decision to provide ₹25 lakh in compensation to the next of kin of each victim.
Adhikari said the state government had initiated steps to establish an inquiry into the tragedy and identify those responsible. He indicated that the investigation would be conducted by a sitting judge or a person nominated by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
The chief minister also contrasted his government’s response with that of the previous administration, referring to earlier incidents during festival periods. His remarks came amid continuing political controversy over the circumstances that led to the stampede and questions surrounding crowd management and the organisation of the Puja event.
The state government has faced criticism over alleged administrative failures, while opposition leaders have questioned the handling of the event and alleged attempts by BJP leaders to influence Puja committees. The allegations have added a political dimension to the tragedy.
Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty alleged that government failures and attempts by BJP leaders to take control of Puja committees had contributed to the circumstances surrounding the incident. He also accused the chief minister of attempting to limit the political fallout through visits to the bereaved families.
Adhikari, meanwhile, criticised opposition leaders, claiming that those attacking the government had neither visited hospitals to meet injured people nor met the families of the deceased. He said he intended to complete visits to all 18 bereaved families from West Bengal by October 24.
The tragedy has prompted renewed demands for accountability over public safety during major religious celebrations. While the compensation provides immediate financial assistance to affected households, the inquiry is expected to address the circumstances of the stampede and determine responsibility for the deaths.
As the political dispute continues, the central questions remain how the deadly crowd surge occurred, whether adequate safety arrangements were in place and what action will follow the investigation.
