The retired judge-led Special Investigation Team probing the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede questioned 13 people on Saturday, including police personnel deployed at the venue, as investigators examined crowd control, emergency preparedness and the announcements made before the tragedy.
The six-member panel, headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Anindita Roy Saraswati, held its second meeting at Writers’ Building. Saraswati said the team questioned police personnel from Girish Park police station who were on duty when the stampede occurred and also spoke to fire service personnel.
“We questioned 13 people today, particularly police personnel from Girish Park police station who were on duty during the tragedy. We also spoke to some fire service personnel,” Saraswati said after the meeting.
The panel will next summon eyewitnesses and local residents. Saraswati said the team could also question Sushanta Shibani Pal, the artist who designed the Chorbagan Sarbojonin Durga Puja pandal, if required. The investigation is examining the actions of police personnel, fire services and the puja organisers in the period leading up to the incident.
Nineteen people were killed and at least 25 injured in the stampede at the pandal on October 17. The retired judge-led panel visited the site on October 22, where it collected evidence through photography, videography, forensic examination and 3D scanning. Investigators also reconstructed the incident to examine how the crowd movement developed.
A key focus is an announcement made shortly before the stampede stating that the pandal was collapsing. The SIT is examining who instructed the announcer to make the announcement and the circumstances in which it was made. Sanjeev Raha, also known as Sentu, the arrested treasurer of the puja committee, was brought to the site and questioned. He was on the microphone when the incident occurred, according to the report.
The panel is also examining lighting inside the pandal, the availability and arrangement of entry and exit routes, crowd-control measures and possible structural defects. It is looking into possible lapses by local police and the puja organisers. Investigators have visited the homes of injured victims and recorded their statements.
The probe has also raised concerns about surveillance at the venue. Kolkata Police found that nearly half of the CCTV cameras were not working during the incident, including a camera installed near the exit gate. Separately, Kolkata Police have questioned the pandal designer and 12 police personnel deployed at the venue, while several other police personnel have also been questioned.
The state government has formed a separate SIT comprising Kolkata Police personnel to investigate the stampede. The retired judge-led panel has been asked to submit its report within three months.
