Dozen IPS officers deployed for immersion duty after Kolkata’s first fatal Durga Puja stampede

The Bengal government has deployed 18 IPS officers to supervise Durga idol immersions in four cities, including a dozen of them for Kolkata where a stampede at the Chorebagan pandal killed 19 people earlier this week in the first such fatal incident during the state’s biggest festival in living memory.

The six other IPS officers will oversee immersions in neighbouring Howrah, Barrackpore and Chandannagar commissionerates, an official said.

"The IPS officers would supervise immersion activities from Wednesday to October 24. Duty schedules have been drawn up individually for the officers," he said.

Gaurav Sharma, Soma Das Mitra, Rashid Munir Khan, Akash Magharia, Suresh Kumar Chadive and Dhritiman Sarkar will supervise immersions on October 21 and 23 in the Kolkata Police area, he said.

Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Imran Wahab, Shish Ram Jhajharia, Soumya Roy, Parijat Biswas and Siddhartha Dhapola will be on immersion duty in the city on October 22 and 24.

In Howrah Police district, Indra Chakraborty will oversee immersions on October 21 and 23. Avaru Ravindranath will be on duty on October 22 and 24.

Palash Chandra Dhali and Dyutiman Bhattacharya have been assigned to Barrackpore, while Abhijit Banerjee and Sandeep Mandal will oversee the immersion process in Chandannagar.