Kolkata Durga Puja stampede: Court sends 7 accused to 10 day police custody

A Kolkata court on Sunday, October 18 remanded seven people arrested in connection with the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede, which claimed 19 lives, to 10 days of police custody. The Bankshall Court rejected the police's request for a 14-day remand, directing that the accused remain in custody until October 28.

The police had sought custody until November 1, defence lawyer MD Yashim Raheman said. He maintained that his clients were visitors to the pandal and had no role in organising the event. According to the lawyer, they had joined rescue efforts after witnessing the crowding and distress among devotees.

The stampede occurred on Saturday evening when a surge of devotees at the pandal triggered a crush, leaving 19 people dead and several others injured. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families on Sunday.

Seven arrested, 14 detained for questioning

Those remanded to police custody include Raj Kumar Sewda, alias Raja, secretary of the puja committee, and its vice-president, Santanu Dubey.

The other accused are Biplab Mukherjee, alias Joy, who was involved in erecting the bamboo structure; Koushik Saha, who handled crowd management and VIP pass checks; Pintu Dey, another person involved in crowd management; and Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal, who were responsible for private security arrangements.

Kolkata Police have registered a suo motu case against the organisers and others under Sections 105, 110 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Fourteen other people have been detained for questioning as part of the investigation.

Authorities have also imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, in parts of Kolkata from October 18 to 20 to prevent any disturbance.

The West Bengal government has ordered a Special Task Force (STF) probe to establish accountability for the incident. It has also announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for one member of each victim's family.

Political leaders react to tragedy

The stampede triggered political reactions, with leaders differing over the need for accountability and the timing of political criticism.

West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee appealed to political parties to refrain from blaming one another immediately after the incident, arguing that the loss of lives should take precedence over political differences.

Banerjee said political scrutiny of the incident could take place later, adding that the immediate priority should be to acknowledge the loss suffered by the victims' families.

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy described the incident as painful and heartbreaking. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had responded promptly and extended assistance to the affected families.

Kumaraswamy also stressed the need for caution while organising large public gatherings.

Congress leader Suman Roy Chowdhury, meanwhile, demanded an impartial investigation and action against those responsible. He alleged that the police presence at the Chorbagan pandal was inadequate because personnel were occupied with security arrangements for visiting BJP leaders.

Chowdhury said his party had lodged a complaint over the alleged security lapses and demanded the arrest of those responsible within 72 hours. He also called for action against the puja committee's office-bearers.

The allegations regarding police deployment and responsibility for the stampede are part of the political reactions to the incident. The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the crowd crush and determine whether lapses in crowd management, security or event arrangements contributed to the deaths.