Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police, probing the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata that killed 19 people on October 17, has summoned pandal theme artist Sushanta Sibani Paul for interrogation on October 28.
The SIT has also summoned three eyewitnesses to the tragedy to record their statements as investigators seek to establish the sequence of events that led to the deadly stampede.
The team, headed by an assistant commissioner attached to the detective department of the city police, is examining the pandal’s design, crowd movement, and circumstances that triggered panic among devotees.
“Paul has been asked to appear at our headquarters at Lalbazar in central Kolkata by October 28. By interrogating him, the investigating officials want to examine the pandal’s design and whether any defects or limitations in its layout left insufficient space to accommodate the massive crowds,” a city police official said.
According to the official, questioning the three eyewitnesses is expected to help investigators understand the situation inside the pandal shortly before the stampede and identify what triggered panic among devotees, prompting them to rush towards the exits.
The initial investigation suggested that a misleading announcement was one of the major factors behind the panic.
The incident occurred amid heavy rain on October 17, when confusion had already gripped the crowded pandal. While devotees waiting outside attempted to enter, many of those inside were reluctant to leave because of the weather conditions.
Amid the chaos, an announcement warning that the pandal had collapsed and urging people to evacuate immediately triggered panic among the gathering.
The resulting rush towards the exits led to a stampede that killed 19 people and injured several others. Investigators are examining the sequence of events and the alleged role of the organisers in the tragedy.
“Two persons have already been arrested on suspicion of making the misleading announcement. By interrogating the eyewitnesses, the investigating officials want to establish how far the theory that the announcement triggered panic and led to the stampede is supported by evidence,” the police official said.
Two parallel investigations are currently underway into the tragedy. The first is being conducted by the Kolkata Police SIT, while the second is being carried out by a state government-appointed judicial inquiry commission headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati.
The judicial panel is expected to complete its inquiry and submit its report to the state government within three months of the commencement of the probe. Both investigations are expected to examine the circumstances leading to the stampede and establish accountability for the deaths and injuries.
(IANS)
