West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday visited the family of Chorbagan stampede victim Kalpana Jana in Ramnagar, East Midnapore, handed over a compensation cheque of Rs 25 lakh and assured them that the incident would be investigated fairly and impartially.
Adhikari met Jana’s husband, Harekrishna, at the family’s residence. He also promised assistance to help the couple’s two children continue their education. Their 19-year-old daughter is pursuing a law degree, while their 10-year-old son studies at a local school.
“I have told the two children to also consider me their guardian,” Adhikari told the family, according to the report. The assurance came alongside the compensation payment and a commitment to provide further assistance to the household.
The chief minister also informed the family that the special investigation team, or SIT, would submit its report within three months. The report did not specify the team’s terms of reference, the agencies involved or the date on which the investigation formally began.
The SIT deadline is the first publicly stated timeline reported in connection with the probe. Its findings are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the stampede and establish the sequence of events that led to the deaths and injuries. No details of the investigation’s present status were provided in the report.
Adhikari also told Jana’s daughter that the government was prepared to offer her a job. She may apply through the district magistrate if she wishes to pursue the option at this stage, the report said. The government has not specified the department, post, recruitment process or terms of the proposed employment.
The visit was part of the chief minister’s outreach to families of victims based in West Bengal. Adhikari has visited the homes of all 17 victims who were based in the state, according to the report. The compensation and assistance measures are being handled across state boundaries, with cabinet colleague Umesh Rai expected to hand over compensation to the families of two victims who lived in Bihar.
For the Jana family, the immediate government response now includes financial compensation, education support, a possible employment option and a formal investigation deadline. The next stated milestone is the submission of the SIT report within three months.
