Kolkata, Oct. 22 -- The probe into the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede gathered pace on Thursday, with the state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by retired judge Anindita Roy Saraswati, visiting the site in the evening, while a separate Kolkata Police SIT and forensic experts examined the pandal's layout and collected evidence.
Kolkata Police's Detective Department has arrested Sanjeev Raha alias Sentu, the Puja committee's treasurer and alleged announcer at the pandal. A resident of Nadia, he was initially detained for questioning as investigators examined his role in the incident.
The October 17 stampede at the north Kolkata puja pandal claimed 19 lives and left 25 injured. The state SIT will investigate the circumstances leading to the tragedy and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.
During Thursday's visit, Roy told the media that poor lighting contributed to the incident and that other aspects would be examined in detail. She said the team would soon meet to draw up an investigation roadmap and try to meet the short deadline for submitting its report.
Constituted in consultation with the Calcutta High Court, the state-level team will examine the sequence of events, the initial crowd surge, the number of people present and whether attendance exceeded the venue's assessed safe capacity. Investigators will scrutinise CCTV footage, mobile phone videos, forensic findings, call records, police logs and medical records.
The team comprises the principal secretary of the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, the DGP of the Special Task Force, a state police representative not below the rank of additional director general, a Home and Hill Affairs Department representative not below the rank of joint secretary, and an NDRF representative in Kolkata.
The SIT will also examine the preparedness and response of the organisers, police, private security personnel, volunteers, emergency services, hospitals, fire services and civic authorities.
Meanwhile, the six-member Kolkata Police SIT, led by an assistant commissioner-level officer from the Detective Department, also revisited the site with forensic experts. They examined the pandal's design, decorations and entry and exit routes. Police have reviewed CCTV footage and questioned civic volunteers and club members to reconstruct events.
Forensic experts used 3D cameras to document the pandal and surrounding areas. Investigators are collecting samples before the structure is dismantled. The scans could help reconstruct the site and assess the circumstances of the stampede.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.