The Bengal government on Wednesday constituted a special investigation team (SIT) headed by a retired judge to probe the Chorebagan puja pandal stampede on October 17 that killed 19 people and left at least 25 others injured.
The team has been tasked with establishing the sequence of events leading to the tragedy, identifying possible lapses and recommending measures to prevent a recurrence.
According to the government order, the SIT will be chaired by Justice (retired) Anindita Roy Saraswati. Other members include the principal secretary of the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department; the director-general and inspector-general of police of the special task force; a representative of the Bengal director-general of police, not below the rank of additional-director general; a representative of the state home department, not below the rank of joint secretary; and a representative of the National Disaster Response Force in Calcutta.
The government said the SIT would undertake an inquiry and submit its findings and recommendations to the state within three months of the order issued on October 21. The team may request the induction of additional officers if required.
The SIT’s terms of reference cover several aspects of the incident, including the circumstances under which the initial crowd surge occurred and developed into the stampede. It will assess the number of people present at the venue, crowd movement and entry-exit flows, and whether the gathering exceeded the reasonably assessed safe capacity of the premises.
The inquiry, sources said, will examine the possible role of overcrowding, adverse weather conditions, rumours, public announcements, whistles, sudden movements and panic in triggering or aggravating the surge. Electrical failure and structural deficiencies have also been listed as possible contributing factors.
The SIT will inspect the adequacy of passages, barricades, stairways, gates and emergency exits. It will scrutinise CCTV footage, mobile phone videos, forensic findings, call records, police station and control room logs, medical records and other physical evidence to reconstruct the events.
The order also requires the team to examine the preparedness, response time and conduct of the puja organisers, private security personnel, volunteers, police, ambulance services, hospitals, fire services and civic authorities. It will assess whether permissions were granted in accordance with applicable rules and whether crowd management, disaster management, evacuation and police deployment plans were prepared and implemented.
The investigation will seek to determine whether negligence, dereliction of duty or coordination failures can be attributed to the organisers or any agency, including the police, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the public works department, fire and emergency services and the CESC.
The order said that the SIT would recommend safeguards for large Durga Puja gatherings in congested areas, particularly in north Calcutta’s narrow lanes.
The team will also examine compensation and rehabilitation provided to victims’ families, sources said.