Kolkata authorities arrest seven over puja stampede as Amit Shah visits injured

UPDATE - follow-up to Kolkata pandal stampede LIVE | At least 19 dead, 25 others injured; sitting HC judge to probe incident: Police have arrested seven people in connection with the deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata.

Arrests And Prohibitory Orders

Those arrested from the Chorbagan Sarbajanin Durga Puja committee include the secretary and vice president, two security in-charge, and a person in charge of construction work. Authorities have also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS around the Chorbagan pandal area. Meanwhile, police asked several major Kolkata Durga Pujas, including Tala Pratyay and Chetla Agrani, to close temporarily due to heavy crowd rushes.

Visits And Official Reactions

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit those injured in the stampede at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang also expressed grief and extended condolences over the tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier described the incident as extremely distressing and announced an ex gratia of two lakh rupees from PMNRF for families of the dead and fifty thousand rupees for the injured.

Context

Large festive gatherings during major festivals like Durga Puja often face severe crowd management challenges when sudden weather changes drive thousands of visitors into enclosed spaces. Strict prohibitory orders and police investigations typically follow major public safety failures to secure evidence and prevent further unrest.