Kolkata Stampede: Chorbagan Durga Puja Treasurer Held Over ‘Pandal Collapsing’ Announcement

The treasurer of the Chorbagan Durga Puja was arrested for allegedly misleading revellers by announcing that a section of the pandal was collapsing, which appeared to have triggered panic among them and led to the stampede that claimed the lives of 19 people last week, police said on Friday.

Sanjib Raha, alias Sentu, was initially detained from a hideout in Nadia district on Thursday and later arrested, a senior officer said.

"There were two persons who were making announcements at the Chorbagan Durga Puja. He was one of them. He had been absconding since the incident occurred in the evening of October 17. We initially detained him in Nadia and then arrested him after hours of questioning,” he said.

At least 19 people died, and 25 others were injured in the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata following a crowd surge amid rain.

The two persons, who had been making announcements at the puja pandal on the Maha Saptami day, were identified via CCTV footage, the officer said.

"This is part of our investigation into the circumstances that led to the stampede. Raha's mobile phone remained switched off since the incident, and he had tried to contact family members and friends using different numbers,” the policeman said.

Investigators were tracking eight suspected mobile numbers as part of their efforts to locate him, he said.

“One of the videos captured the two persons making announcements. They were heard warning revellers that the pandal was collapsing and asking visitors to leave the place immediately. It appeared that the announcements triggered panic and a fresh rush towards the exit point,” the officer said.

A special investigation team, formed to probe the tragedy, was also investigating whether lapses in crowd management or other acts of negligence contributed to the stampede, he said.