Kolkata’s idol immersion security will be tightened from October 21 to 24, with 12 IPS officers assigned to oversee arrangements across Kolkata Police areas after 19 visitors died in a stampede at the Chorbangan Sarbojanin puja pandal on October 17. A total of 18 IPS officers have been deployed across four major cities in the state, according to a notification issued by the state police on Tuesday.
The deployment will cover the immersion period beginning on Dashami, October 21, and continuing through Saturday, October 24. The officers have been assigned specific dates and jurisdictions, with the schedule naming each official responsible for supervision in different police areas.
In Kolkata Police areas, IPS officers Gaurav Sharma, Soma Das Mitra, Rashid Munir Khan, Akash Magharia, Sureshkumar Chadive and Dhritiman Sarkar will oversee immersions on October 21 and 23. IPS officers Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Imran Wahab, Sheesh Ram Jhajharia, Saumya Roy, Parijat Biswas and Siddharth Dhapola will supervise operations on October 22 and 24.
The state police has also assigned six officers to immersion-related oversight in Howrah, Barrackpore and Chandannagar, with two officers for each area. In Howrah Police District, IPS officer Indra Chakraborty will be on duty on October 21 and 23, while Avaru Ravindranath will supervise on October 22 and 24.
Palash Chandra Dhali and Dyutiman Bhattacharya have been assigned to Barrackpore Police District. In Chandannagar, IPS officers Abhijit Bandyopadhyay and Sandeep Mondal have been given responsibility for overseeing the immersion arrangements. The notification did not specify the number of immersion sites or the operational arrangements at individual ghats.
The enhanced supervision follows the deaths at the Chorbangan Sarbojanin pandal on October 17, during Saptami. According to the report, 19 visitors died in the stampede. Kolkata Police has formed a special investigation team to examine the incident, and six people have been arrested in connection with it.
The latest deployment places senior police officers in direct supervisory roles during a period when large numbers of people are expected to move towards immersion locations across the city and neighbouring urban areas. The state police notification sets out the dates and officers for the four-day period, while Kolkata Police and the municipal administration are preparing for the immersion process with heightened caution. Further operational details will depend on arrangements at the individual immersion sites and the directions issued by the authorities.
