A social media post allegedly originating in Bangladesh and shared by 135 people in Bengal has come under police scrutiny following the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede, with chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday warning of stringent legal action against those circulating what he described as false narratives about the tragedy.
Adhikari said he had directed police to register cases under non-bailable sections against people who shared or endorsed misleading posts concerning the incident, which claimed 19 lives and left 25 others injured in north Kolkata on Saturday evening.
"Some fake narratives were being posted from Bangladesh. I have ordered that cases under non-bailable sections must be registered against those who liked and shared such posts," the chief minister said while visiting victims of the stampede.
Referring to one such post, Adhikari claimed it had originated in Bangladesh before being circulated by social media users across Bengal, including in Cooch Behar district.
According to him, 135 people in the state had shared the content.
"All of them will be booked. We will take strict action against anyone trying to disrupt law and order here," he said.
His warning came hours after the Special Task Force of Bengal Police arrested a man from Cooch Behar district on accusations of spreading misinformation about the death toll in the Chorbagan stampede.
The arrest followed concerns over the circulation of misleading information about the tragedy on social media.
‘So many lives were lost because of a few mistakes’
During his visit, Adhikari also expressed grief over the deaths and acknowledged that lapses had contributed to the disaster.
"So many lives were lost because of a few mistakes. It is extremely painful. I have no words," he said.
The stampede occurred at a Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, leaving 19 people dead and 25 injured.
Questions have since been raised over crowd management and the circumstances leading to the sudden rush of visitors.
Responding to questions about the absence of CCTV footage from the location where an announcement was reportedly made before the stampede, Adhikari said the matter would be examined by the special investigation team (SIT).
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He declined to disclose the footage received by the authorities, maintaining that he would not interfere with the investigation.
"I have constituted an SIT, and it will look into the matter. I have received a lot of footage. Why should I disclose everything?" he said.
The investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, including the reported announcement and the availability of video evidence.