Kolkata Police have sought court permission to collect voice samples from two arrested men. Forensic comparison may establish who made the announcement that allegedly triggered the deadly stampede.Stock photo used for illustrationKolkata,Oct 24, 2026 15:12 ISTKolkata Police has sought a local court's permission to collect voice samples from two people arrested in connection with the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The police are investigating loudspeaker announcements at the pandal that allegedly caused panic among revellers on October 17.
The stampede left 19 people dead.Investigators want to compare the voices of the two accused, puja treasurer Sanjib Raha and Kushal Majumdar, with recordings of the announcements made on the day of the incident, a senior police officer told PTI."We are examining the available audio and video footage to establish who made the announcements, and whether the voices match with those of the accused. The forensic findings will be important in reconstructing the sequence of events," the officer said.
Police have collected three to four audio and video clips of announcements made around the time of the incident. Investigators have identified the clip in which the announcement can be heard and have begun examining the recordings.A loudspeaker announcement claiming that a portion of the Chorbagan puja pandal was collapsing allegedly caused panic among revellers, leading to a stampede-like situation. "The voice samples will be compared with the recordings after the court grants permission," the officer said.As part of the investigation, police have recorded statements from around 60 people.
They include several of the 25 people injured in the stampede, as well as home guards, civic volunteers, private security personnel and local residents. Personnel involved in crowd management at the venue have also been questioned."Our officers are trying to establish the sequence of events, the nature of the announcements made over the public address system and their possible impact on the crowd.
The evidence collected will be examined before the chargesheet is prepared," the officer told PTI.Police have arrested nine people in connection with the case so far.Meanwhile, preparations are under way to immerse the idols from the Chorbagan puja pandal at Nimtala Ghat under strict police supervision. The Special Investigation Team, constituted under the supervision of the Calcutta High Court, has cleared the immersion.
The court has directed that the puja pandal be preserved in its existing condition for the investigation.The investigation is focused on identifying who made the loudspeaker announcements and determining their possible impact on the crowd, while the pandal will remain preserved and the idols will be immersed under police supervision.- Ends