The West Bengal government will set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta high court to probe the stampede at a Durga Puja in Kolkata that has left 19 people dead so far, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, even as seven people were arrested.
“A rickshaw puller lost her daughter. A person who deals with cloth pieces lost his college-going daughter. Since the puja committee had taken the requisite permission from the Kolkata Police, fire brigade and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, a SIT headed by a sitting judge would be set up to probe the possible lapses, he added. CCTV footage from the pandal has been seized by the Kolkata Police for a detailed probe. “Legal action would be taken against any persons if any lapses are found. It could be club volunteers, temporary home guards, police personnel and security agencies engaged by the club. Children have died. The Chor Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity puja pandal was shut after the stampede.
At least 25 people were injured in the incident and the condition of one of them is believed to be critical. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under sections 105 and 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The puja organiser and members of the security agency and event management company are among those arrested, according to the police. “We will appeal to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court to appoint a sitting judge to head the SIT,” he said. The individuals will be identified from CCTV footage,” Adhikari said. It is very pathetic,” he said. Soon, a few other crowded puja pandals, including Chetla Agrani and Tala Prottay, were also shut, the police said.
Later, a child succumbed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Another woman died on her way to a private hospital. “The toll has risen to 19. Initially, 17 people were declared dead by doctors at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital hospital. I have spoken to the family members of around 12 – 13 families,” Adhikari told reporters.
