Bengal government forms SIT headed by ex-judge to probe Chorbagan stampede; to submit findingsin 3 months

West Bengal has formed a six-member special investigation team to investigate the October 17 stampede at a north Kolkata pandal that killed 19 people.

The West Bengal government on Wednesday constituted a six-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the October 17 stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata in which 19 people were killed and 25 injured.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari interacts with the bereaved family of a Kolkata Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede victim in Arambag, Hooghly, on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab)

The SIT, headed by retired judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, has been asked to submit its findings and recommendations to the state government within three months, an order issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal stated.

The team has been constituted in consultation with the Calcutta High Court, it said.

Besides the retired judge, the SIT comprises the principal secretary of the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, the director general and inspector general of police (DGP) of the Special Task Force, a representative of the West Bengal Police chief not below the rank of additional director general, a representative of the Home and Hill Affairs Department not below the rank of joint secretary, and a representative of the National Disaster Response Force in Kolkata, it added.

"The team will examine the sequence of events leading to the stampede, including the circumstances that triggered the initial crowd surge, the number of people present at the venue and whether the gathering exceeded its assessed safe capacity," the order stated.

The SIT will also investigate the possible role of overcrowding, adverse weather, gate management, rumours, electrical failure and inadequate entry and exit arrangements, it said.

It will scrutinise CCTV footage, mobile phone video recordings, forensic findings, call records, police station and control room logs, medical records and other evidence related to the incident.

The SIT will examine the preparedness and response of the organisers, police, private security personnel, volunteers, ambulance services, hospitals, fire services and civic authorities.

It will also assess whether the required permissions and crowd-management and evacuation plans were in place and implemented in accordance with applicable rules and guidelines.

The order said the team would ascertain whether any lapse, negligence, dereliction of duty or failure in coordination was attributable to the organisers, police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, Fire and Emergency Services, CESC or any other agency or individual, and recommend action wherever warranted.

The SIT will also recommend measures to prevent similar incidents at large Durga Puja gatherings, particularly in the congested lanes of north Kolkata, and examine the assistance, compensation and rehabilitation extended to victims and their families.

The order described the probe as a "comprehensive, impartial and thorough inquiry" into the incident and directed all departments and agencies concerned to extend full cooperation to the team.