The West Bengal government on Wednesday constituted a six-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the October 17 stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata in which 19 people were killed and 25 injured.
The SIT, headed by retired judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, has been asked to submit its findings and recommendations to the state government within three months, an order issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal stated. Besides the retired judge, the SIT comprises the principal secretary of the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, the director general and inspector general of police (DGP) of the Special Task Force, a representative of the West Bengal Police chief not below the rank of additional director general, a representative of the Home and Hill Affairs Department not below the rank of joint secretary, and a representative of the National Disaster Response Force in Kolkata, it added. It will scrutinise CCTV footage, mobile phone video recordings, forensic findings, call records, police station and control room logs, medical records and other evidence related to the incident. The SIT will examine the preparedness and response of the organisers, police, private security personnel, volunteers, ambulance services, hospitals, fire services and civic authorities.
The team has been constituted in consultation with the Calcutta High Court, it said. The order said the team would ascertain whether any lapse, negligence, dereliction of duty or failure in coordination was attributable to the organisers, police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, Fire and Emergency Services, CESC or any other agency or individual, and recommend action wherever warranted.
