Kolkata Police have arrested a second announcer in connection with the Chorebagan crowd incident, in which a loudspeaker message claiming that the pandal was collapsing reportedly triggered greater panic and pushing among visitors during the evening of Saptami.
The arrested man has been identified as Kushal Majumdar. According to the Anandabazar report, he was taken to Lalbazar for questioning. The arrest follows the detention of another announcer from Nadia on Thursday. That accused was expected to be produced before Bankshall Court on Friday, taking the number of arrests linked to the announcement to two.
Police began investigating who made the message after visitors gathered at the Chorebagan puja venue amid heavy crowding. The announcement reportedly told people that the pandal was breaking apart and urged them to leave quickly. Witnesses cited in the report said the message added to the fear and led to further pushing in an already disorderly situation.
Investigators had earlier identified two suspected announcers using CCTV footage from the site. One of them was Sanjib Raha, also known as Sentu, the treasurer of the Chorebagan puja committee. Police said he had been untraceable after the incident. His phone was switched off, but investigators reportedly tracked eight numbers that he allegedly used at different times to contact family members and friends from undisclosed locations. This led police to Nadia, where he was arrested on Thursday.
The second arrested person, Majumdar, and Raha are residents of Amar Basu Sarani, located within about 50 metres of the pandal, according to the report. Police are questioning both suspects to establish why the announcement was made and whether either of them had been instructed to issue it.
The reported crowding occurred along the route outside the pandal. The area also included a room used by club members and special guests, from where the loudspeaker system was operated. Police are examining whether the announcement originated from that location and how the message was communicated during the emergency.
Videos circulating on social media reportedly showed visitors falling ill on a fenced, spiral passage and others being pushed to the ground between the exit gate and the pandal. Anandabazar said it had not independently verified the authenticity of those videos. One clip reportedly showed a police officer repeatedly trying to contact someone by phone while people attempted to stand up amid the crowd.
The investigation now centres on the circumstances surrounding the announcement, the roles of the two arrested men and whether the message was issued independently or on someone else’s direction. Police questioning is continuing at Lalbazar, while the first arrested accused is scheduled to appear before Bankshall Court.
