Kolkata, 26 October (H.S.): Intensifying the investigation into the tragic stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja marquee that claimed 19 lives, the Kolkata Police have officially summoned pandal artist Sushanta Shibani Pal to Lalbazar. Pal has been directed to appear before the investigating officers by Wednesday. He is expected to face extensive questioning regarding the structural planning, structural design, and the designated crowd circulation arrangements within the marquee. His official statement will be recorded during the interrogation.

Simultaneously, the police have initiated a door-to-door drive to record the detailed testimonies of the injured victims and eyewitnesses. Investigators are meticulously attempting to reconstruct the sequence of events to pinpoint exact operational lapses and fix accountability for the fatal crush. While CCTV footage is considered a critical piece of evidence, sources reveal a significant hurdle: out of the 32 cameras installed in and around the pandal, footage from 16 is currently missing or unavailable.

Following a site inspection last Thursday by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), directives were issued to preserve the entire pandal as an active 'crime scene'. While the structure remains sealed, authorities permitted the immersion of the deity. On Friday, a section of the main gate was dismantled to safely bring the idol out, and the immersion was peacefully executed on Saturday afternoon under heavy police presence. Consequently, the SIT denied organizers permission to host the customary Lakshmi Puja on the same stage to prevent any potential tampering with crucial forensic evidence.

So far, the police have arrested nine individuals in connection with the incident. Among them are two public address announcers, Sanjib Raha (alias Centu) and Kushal Majumdar. The duo is accused of triggering the deadly panic on Saptami evening by abruptly announcing over the microphone that the marquee was collapsing. In a significant twist, Majumdar claimed he made the alarming announcement on the specific instructions of an unidentified police officer.

The SIT has now expanded its probe to thoroughly scrutinize the role of law enforcement present at the venue. Reports indicate that while 80 to 90 police personnel were deployed at Chorbagan on Saptami evening, internal crowd control was delegated to private security guards, with police primarily managing external traffic and crowd flow.

Investigators are actively verifying the deployment logs to determine whether the police personnel were present at their designated posts and executing their duties effectively when the tragedy unfolded.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh