Former Top Cops Blame Poor Crowd Control in Deadly Kolkata Puja Stampede

Nineteen people died in a stampede at the Chore Bagan Durga Puja pandal due to bad planning and space problems, according to several former Kolkata Police officers.

Official Response and Inquiry

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formed an expert team on Sunday to inspect the site and check safety measures at major pandals. This team includes disaster management secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, fire services director general Anuj Sharma, and Special Task Force ADG Javed Shamim, along with three other Indian Police Service officers.

Safety Failures Identified

An unnamed former police commissioner said that exit points measuring only 11 or 11.5 feet wide were far too small to handle an emergency evacuation. Stalls set up outside the exit made the street even narrower, and a retired IPS officer noted that videos showed a lack of police presence and a VIP path that squeezed the general entry down to 7.5 or 8 feet. Mandap designer Sushanta Shibani Pal stated that people crowded under covered pathways to escape the rain and panicked when rumors spread that the structure was falling.

Context

Large religious festivals often draw massive crowds into tight urban spaces, making clear exit paths and active police monitoring vital for public safety. Authorities frequently review safety norms and restrict public assembly in narrow areas after major accidents occur.