Adhikari Announces Compensation, SIT Probe After Kolkata Stampede (Img: IANS)
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting at Bhabani Bhawan following the deadly stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. He announced that he would visit the families of those who died on October 20 and 21 and personally hand over compensation cheques.
Adhikari also said that personnel from Kolkata Police, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the State Fire Services Department had been excluded from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine their role in the incident. He added that one of the 19 victims was from Bihar.
"One of the 19 deceased is from Bihar. The process of handing over the bodies has begun. Two of the injured admitted to the ICU have suffered bone fractures, while the remaining 23 are fit for discharge. I will visit the family of every deceased person within two days and personally hand over the compensation cheque," said CM Adhikari.
He stressed that lessons must be learnt from the tragedy and adequate precautions taken to prevent similar incidents.
Also Read: Kolkata Stampede: 19 Dead, 7 Arrested as CM Calls High-Level Meeting
"After an incident like this, the necessary precautions should be taken. This is a large state with a population of 10.5 to 11 crore, and everyone is celebrating the puja festival. We must ensure the safety of others. The lapses have been reviewed. Of the 19 people who died, 18 were residents of West Bengal. For every deceased person, a team comprising a civil administration official, a police administration official and the local MLA will stay with the family until the cremation."
Addressing questions about the arrangements at the pandal, Adhikari said the civic volunteers deployed there had been recruited in 2024-25 and selected from an existing list. He called for the list to be examined before responsibility was assigned.
"These are people (civic volunteers) recruited in 2024-25. They (the administration) hire people every year, and this time they were taken from the old list. No new person was brought in. We have asked for the list, and it should be scrutinised. It would not be right to blame them without examining the facts. It started raining, and the rope was released. There were no proper two-lane arrangements there. A temporary passage had been created using ropes, forming a chain. That chain broke, and everyone got mixed up."
The Chief Minister said seven people had been arrested in connection with the incident and were in police custody under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He added that senior officials and the state government were closely monitoring the situation.
"Seven individuals have been arrested and are currently in police custody under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Governor visited the hospital, as did the Union Home Minister. I am personally monitoring the situation with the assistance of the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner of Police, the Home Secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP), and others. The entire government is actively engaged. We are not celebrating the holiday, nor are we posting anything on social media. We are not making statements to the press assigning blame to others."
Adhikari also announced plans to form an SIT under the leadership of a sitting judge. The state government will write to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to seek permission to constitute the team.
"An SIT (Special Investigation Team) is also being formed, which will operate under the leadership of a sitting judge. The Chief Secretary will write to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. If permission is granted, we will constitute the SIT as soon as possible."
The Chief Minister said the state government would pay tribute to the 19 people who died at the Bijaya Sammilani event on October 26. Families of the 25 injured people would also receive compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each at the event.
Police arrested seven people, including organisers, on Sunday in connection with the stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, which claimed 19 lives.
The incident occurred when a large crowd of devotees gathered at the north Kolkata pandal to catch a glimpse of the idols. Chaos broke out after part of the exit gate structure collapsed, triggering a stampede.
The injured were rushed to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and two other state-run hospitals. Around 17 people were initially declared brought dead at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, while 25 injured people were admitted for treatment. The death toll rose to 19 on Sunday.
