The Durga idol of Chorbagan Sarbojanin Puja was immersed in the Hooghly river on Saturday, a week after a stampede at the pandal claimed 19 lives, with the farewell taking place without the customary 'Debi Boron' and 'Sindoor Khela' rituals.
The immersion remained uncertain even after the end of the festivities until retired judge Anindita Roy Saraswati, who heads one of the special investigation teams (SITs) probing the tragedy, cleared it, provided the main structure of the pandal was preserved for the investigation.
The massive idol was brought out of the pandal through a section of the entrance gate that had been cut on Friday to facilitate its removal.
The idol remained on Central Avenue for some time as residents gathered to bid it farewell, while a large police contingent supervised the immersion process.
Several residents stood along the route as the idol was taken out. Women bowed before it, while some locals walked ahead carrying candles.
A black banner displayed in front of a truck conveyed condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the stampede.
An elderly woman from the neighbourhood was seen folding her hands before the idol, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"So many people died before our eyes. So many homes have lost their loved ones. May we never have to witness such a terrible time again," she said.
Another resident said the cries of people and the scenes of death from the evening of the incident continued to haunt them.
"I pray to God that we never have to see such a day again," the resident said.
"This year, there was no 'Debi Boron'. We could not even find out whether there had been any shortcomings in the puja. Mother, please forgive us," Sananda Roy, a resident said while expressing their grief over the tragedy.
'Debi Boron' is a traditional ritual of the Bengalis, in which women, preferably married, offer sweets, sindoor and other items to Maa Durga before bidding a final farewell to the goddess.
The immersion was carried out under police supervision, with no members of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin puja committee present during the proceedings.
Nineteen people were killed in the stampede at the Chorbagan puja pandal on October 17.
So far, nine people, including two announcers, have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Two separate SITs have been constituted to investigate the tragedy.
CJP demands transparent probe
CJP's Bengal unit on Saturday demanded an impartial probe into the Chorabagan stampede that claimed 19 lives and called for accountability for any negligence established during the investigation.
The party organised a condolence programme and a press conference to pay tribute to the victims and express solidarity with the affected families.
Addressing the press conference, a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) member called for safety audits, trained personnel, emergency evacuation plans and better coordination among emergency services.
In a statement, CJP coordinator Prakriti Sahu outlined the party's demands, including timely financial assistance and medical support for the affected families and injured, stronger safety guidelines for major public gatherings and festival pandals across the state, and regular public updates on the investigation and relief measures.
The party said it would submit its demands in writing to the relevant authorities and seek details of the action taken.
CJP also called for a review of crowd-management arrangements, emergency exits, medical assistance, event permissions and the response of the authorities concerned.
The party appealed to civil society organisations and citizens to support the affected families and efforts to prevent similar incidents.