Kolkata: A special investigation team probing the October 17 stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata will try to submit its report within three months, although the timeline is challenging, according to the panel's head, retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati.
The tragic incident at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal located in north Kolkata resulted in 19 fatalities and left 25 others injured. The six-member investigative panel was established in consultation with the Calcutta High Court to determine the underlying causes of the disaster and to recommend preventative measures for future large-scale events.
Justice Saraswati stated that the team intends to convene shortly to outline an investigative roadmap and conduct an on-site inspection of the location to establish what triggered the crowd crush. Addressing the government-mandated three-month deadline, she acknowledged the tight timeframe while expressing commitment to fulfilling the target.
Under the government mandate, the inquiry will scrutinize the chronological sequence of events culminating in the disaster. This includes analyzing the catalysts for the initial crowd surge, estimating the total attendance, and evaluating whether the volume of visitors surpassed the venue's safe operational capacity.
The panel plans to analyze closed-circuit television recordings, mobile phone footage, forensic analysis, telephone logs, police control room registers, medical documentation, and other pertinent evidence. Furthermore, the inquiry will evaluate the emergency response and readiness exhibited by event organizers, law enforcement, private security contractors, volunteers, medical services, fire departments, and municipal agencies.
In addition to Justice Saraswati, the six-member committee comprises the principal secretary of the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, the director general and inspector general of the Special Task Force, a designated representative of the West Bengal police chief holding a rank not lower than additional director general, a representative from the Home and Hill Affairs Department at or above the joint secretary level, and a Kolkata-based representative of the National Disaster Response Force.
The overarching objective of the probe is to clarify the sequence of circumstances that produced the stampede, evaluate the adequacy of the official and organizational response, and formulate actionable safety recommendations to safeguard future public gatherings.