New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- The Durga idol of Chorbagan Sarbojanin Puja was immersed at Nimtala Ghat on the Hooghly river on Saturday, a week after a stampede at the North Kolkata pandal on October 17 killed 19 people and injured 25, with the farewell taking place without the customary 'Debi Boron' and 'Sindoor Khela' rituals.
The immersion had been uncertain after the administration initially decided to preserve the idol and pandal pending the investigation. However, retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, heading the judicial inquiry, permitted the immersion on Thursday, directing that the main pandal structure remain intact.
Nearly 40 labourers brought the idol out at around 2 pm. With no puja committee members present to oversee the process, police arranged its transportation. After an attempt to load it onto a lorry using ropes and bamboo failed, an iron trolley was arranged to carry the idol along Central Avenue to Nimtala Ghat.
Residents expressed grief over the absence of the customary farewell rituals, saying they had decided against performing "boron" this year following the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police SIT is conducting a parallel probe alongside the judicial inquiry. Nine people have been arrested, including two announcers whose announcements allegedly triggered panic among visitors. Sanjeev Raha, alias Sentu, is in police custody until October 28, while Kusal Majumdar, alias Kalia, has been remanded until November 6.
Investigators have approached a local court seeking permission to collect the accused announcers' voice samples and match them with recordings from the venue. Several video clips containing announcements have been identified, and the audio is being sent for forensic examination. Police are also examining whether unauthorised stalls along the exit route contributed to congestion and are comparing the arrangements at the pandal with those specified in the Puja committee's permission application.
Statements have been recorded from around 60 to 70 people, including injured visitors, as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events. The main pandal structure continues to be preserved as evidence.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.