Chorebagan Durga idol cleared for exit by SIT, entry gate widened; immersion today

The Durga idol at Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity, where 19 visitors were killed in a stampede, will be taken out through the pandal’s entry gate for immersion on Saturday, after police received clearance from the special investigation team (SIT) probing the tragedy.

The idol had remained at the pandal while the site was preserved for investigators examining the October 17 stampede. The delay was intended to allow them to inspect the spot and collect evidence to establish how the tragedy unfolded.

The police have since obtained formal permission from the SIT, headed by retired judge Anindita Roy Saraswati, to proceed with the immersion while keeping the site of the stampede undisturbed.

“The forensic team has visited the spot twice and collected samples. Since the place of occurrence was at the exit gate, it has been sealed. The idol will be taken out through the front gate,” a Kolkata Police officer said on Friday.

The exit gate, originally meant to be used to take the idol out, remains sealed because the stampede occurred there. The police have therefore opted for the entry gate instead.

Work was underway on Friday to widen the entry gate by cutting through the pandal’s iron framework. The idol, about nine feet tall, requires an opening of roughly 12 feet to be removed safely. Workers were cutting through the metal structure to create enough clearance.

“The idol was made at the pandal itself, so there was no difficulty in bringing it in. The original plan was to take it out through the exit gate. However, since that is the site of the incident, it has been sealed and cannot be used,” a police source said.

Could the movement of workers through the pandal raise concerns about disturbing the scene of the crime? Police sources said forensic teams had already visited twice and collected and secured the evidence. The idol could now be removed without affecting the investigation, they said.

The immersion is planned ahead of Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, in line with the government’s schedule for the conclusion of Durga Puja festivities.

However, extracting the idol is expected to take time. Police sources said the operation could continue until Saturday afternoon or later before the idol is ready to be taken out for immersion.

The priority, they said, is to ensure that the idol is removed safely without disturbing the sealed exit gate or the surrounding area linked to the ongoing investigation.