Kolkata stampede: Bengal forms SIT headed by retired judge to probe Chorbagan tragedy

The West Bengal government has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati to investigate the fatal stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata. The panel has been given a three-month deadline to present its findings and recommendations.

The tragedy, which occurred on the evening of 17 October during festival gatherings, resulted in 19 deaths and left 25 people injured. Most of those who died were women and children after sudden crowd surges developed during adverse weather.

Who is on the investigation team

According to an official notification issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the team was constituted in consultation with the Calcutta High Court. While the state administration originally proposed appointing a sitting judge, a Division Bench presided over by Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge noted on 20 October that Supreme Court directives preclude sitting judges from chairing such executive inquiries.

The six-member panel brings together senior administrative, police, and disaster management officials:

• Justice (Retired) Anindita Roy Saraswati (Chairperson)
• Principal Secretary, Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department
• Director General and Inspector General of Police, Special Task Force (STF)
• Representative of the West Bengal Police chief (at least Additional Director General rank)
• Representative of the Home and Hill Affairs Department (at least Joint Secretary rank)
• Kolkata-based representative of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

Notably, the Kolkata Police force has no representation on the inquiry team.

What the panel will investigate

The SIT has been tasked with conducting an exhaustive and impartial examination into the exact sequence of events at Chorbagan. Its remit includes assessing whether the safe capacity of the venue was breached and whether entry gates, stairways, barricades, and emergency exits complied with safety regulations.

Investigators will evaluate whether adverse weather, including sudden rain and thunderstorm alerts, contributed to bottlenecks as visitors moved toward exits. The panel will review CCTV footage, mobile video recordings, call data, control room logs, and forensic materials, while scrutinising the approvals granted by municipal, fire, and power utilities.

Alongside establishing accountability across event organisers and civic bodies, the panel must suggest regulatory reforms to ensure crowd safety across future high-volume festival gatherings, particularly in the historic, narrow streets of north Kolkata.

Relief and administrative response

Seven individuals, including pandal organisers, have been arrested as part of the initial police action. The state Special Task Force has also launched a parallel inquiry to pinpoint operational failures.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has maintained close oversight alongside senior officials, meeting bereaved families across Hooghly, New Barrackpore, and New Town. The state government announced a compensation package of ₹25 lakh alongside employment assistance for the next of kin of each deceased victim, with distribution already under way.

Medical teams have begun discharging injured survivors in phases, with 14 patients transferred to private care facilities off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass following acute treatment at Kolkata Medical College and RG Kar Medical College.