Chorebagan stampede: Kolkata Police move court for voice samples of two accused

The Kolkata Police has moved a local court for permission to collect voice samples of two accused arrested in connection with the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede that killed 19 people, as investigators seek to identify those who made loudspeaker announcements allegedly responsible for triggering panic among revellers.

The police want to match the voice samples of Sanjib Raha, the puja committee's treasurer, and Kushal Majumdar with audio recordings of announcements made on October 17, when the stampede occurred, a senior officer said.

"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,” he said.

Police have collected three to four audio and video clips of announcements made around the time of the incident. Investigators have also identified a clip in which the announcement can be heard and initiated the process of examining the recordings, the officer said.

A loudspeaker announcement that a portion of the Chorbagan puja pandal was collapsing allegedly sparked panic among revellers, triggering a stampede-like situation.

"The voice samples will be compared with the recordings after the court grants permission," he said.

As part of the investigation, police have recorded statements from around 60 people, including several of the 25 injured in the stampede, home guards, civic volunteers, private security personnel and local residents.

Personnel involved in crowd management at the venue have also been questioned, the officer said.

"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," he said.

Police have arrested nine people in connection with the case so far.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway to immerse the idols from the Chorbagan puja pandal at Nimtala Ghat under strict police supervision, the officer added.

The immersion has been cleared by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted under the supervision of the Calcutta High Court, which has directed that the puja pandal be preserved in its existing condition for the investigation.