The state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Chorbagan stampede in Kolkata, in which 19 people died, has summoned police and fire officials who were on duty when the incident occurred. The panel may also question the artist who designed the puja pandal as it examines how crowd pressure developed at the venue.
SIT chairperson and former judge Anindita Roy Saraswati said after the panel’s second meeting on Saturday that officers from Girish Park police station and fire department officials had been called for questioning. Around 12 to 13 people were summoned during the latest round of the investigation, according to the report by Anandabazar.
The officials were asked to appear before the panel because they were responsible for duties in and around the site on the day of the incident. The SIT is examining the sequence of events and the actions taken by agencies responsible for managing public safety at the venue.
The panel may also summon Sushanta Shivani Pal, the artist associated with the Chorbagan Sarbojanin puja pandal. The artist had earlier been summoned by the Kolkata Police’s Lalbazar headquarters, and the SIT chairperson said the panel could call him if required for the investigation.
The next SIT meeting is scheduled for November 7. Local residents and eyewitnesses from the Chorbagan area may be called to provide information about the crowd movement and the circumstances surrounding the stampede. The panel had earlier prepared a list of people who could be questioned after visiting the incident site.
The SIT held its first meeting at Mahakaran on October 26 after inspecting the location. Officials from the Chorbagan puja committee and several senior Kolkata Police officers were present at that meeting. The discussions included the possible causes of the incident and the width of the entry point through which visitors were entering the pandal, according to the report.
The investigation is also examining whether the number of visitors at the pandal exceeded its intended capacity. The panel has been asked to establish when, where and how crowd pressure first developed, and to determine the sequence of events that led to the deaths.
The state government had initially sought the formation of a special commission led by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court. Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal wrote to Chief Justice Rabindra V. Ghuge on the matter. The chief justice subsequently indicated that the inquiry should instead be headed by a retired judge. The state government then issued a notification constituting the panel under the retired judge’s leadership.
The SIT’s mandated task is to determine what happened on the day of the incident and identify the causes after examining the situation at the venue. Its next scheduled meeting on November 7 is expected to advance the questioning of witnesses and other people connected with the event.
