Authorities in Kolkata have arrested seven people on culpable homicide charges and deployed senior police commanders on an emergency basis after a horrific stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal killed 19 people and injured 25 others.
The disaster, which unfolded during Saturday night’s Saptami celebrations, came within minutes of claiming another high-profile victim: Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner to Kolkata, who narrowly escaped the crush after being turned away at the entrance.
The diplomat, Mohammed Khaled, had arrived at the venue just five minutes before the tragedy following an official invitation from the festival committee.
Seeing the suffocating surge inside, organisers urged him to remain outside and delay his walkthrough until conditions improved.
Moments after he heeded their advice and stepped back, the dense crowd surged forward, triggering the fatal crush.
“The organisers saved me. Otherwise, I could also have faced major danger,” Khaled said on Sunday, as the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata formally expressed deep condolences over the loss of life.
Police move on culpable homicide
The arrests of the seven Puja committee members and organisers have intensified fierce public scrutiny over severe crowd-management failures at the pavilion.
With thousands of revellers continuing to visit pandals across the metropolis during the remaining festival days, seven experienced Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, all veterans of Kolkata Police crowd control, have been deployed on an emergency basis to take direct command of security operations.
The tragedy occurred when heavy downpours combined with an overwhelming influx of visitors, completely overwhelming entryways and access barriers at Chorbagan. Investigators are now scrutinising structural flaws, lack of emergency exits, and improper security arrangements.
To support affected families, the West Bengal government has announced Rs25 lakh in compensation alongside a government job for an eligible family member of each deceased victim, while also pledging to cover all medical expenses for the injured.
Separately, India’s central government has announced Rs2 lakh for each bereaved family.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders across the political spectrum expressed deep grief over the tragedy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the injured in hospital on Sunday, where 14 of the 25 reported casualties remain admitted at a private facility in Kolkata, including three in intensive care and one in a critical condition.
Families mourn devastating losses
Behind the criminal charges and administrative shake-ups lie heartbreaking stories of personal loss.
Among the 19 victims were 38-year-old Abhishek Srivastava and his seven-year-old son, Aayansh Kumar Srivastava, who had travelled all the way from Bihar to experience Kolkata’s famous festivities, only to lose their lives when the crowd overwhelmed the area around the pavilion.
Another victim, college student Priya Samaddar, was described by her grief-stricken mother as someone who was terrified of crowded buses and trains and could barely endure minor physical discomfort.
“How much my daughter suffered! She couldn’t bear even a little pain,” her mother wept, consumed by remorse for failing to discourage her daughter from going out again after she had already spent time enjoying the festivities earlier in the day.
As police enforce strict new safety protocols and intensify monitoring across all remaining venues, the investigation into Chorbagan remains central to Kolkata’s ongoing Durga Puja, with authorities facing immense pressure to ensure no further lives are lost during the festival.
