Kolkata Police Arrests Two in Durga Puja Pandal Panic Incident
Arrests Made Following Durga Puja Incident
Photo: IANS
Kolkata, Oct 23: The Kolkata Police apprehended Babu Majumdar, also known as Kalia, the second suspect involved in a false announcement that caused panic among attendees at the Durga Puja pandal in Chorbagan Sarbojanin on October 17. His arrest occurred on Friday.
On Thursday, authorities had already detained and subsequently arrested the main suspect, Sanjib Raha, known as Sentu, who served as the treasurer for the organizing committee of the Durga Puja event.
During questioning, Raha admitted that Majumdar was present with him when the misleading announcement was made from a designated room for committee members and special guests.
A police official confirmed that investigators suspect the announcement may have been made under someone else's direction.
While Raha's interrogation has been ongoing since Thursday afternoon, investigators plan to question Majumdar about the incident. If needed, both suspects may be interrogated together to prevent inconsistencies in their statements.
“Several factors contributed to the panic that caused devotees to rush within the pandal. However, we believe the misleading announcement was a significant trigger for the chaos, which led to the stampede. The situation could have been managed better, potentially preventing the tragic loss of lives,” stated the police officer.
Both Raha and Majumdar had gone into hiding following the incident on October 17. Majumdar lives near Raha in North Kolkata.
The false announcement was made during a chaotic moment when rain had already caused confusion, with people outside trying to enter and those inside reluctant to leave.
At that critical moment, an announcement urged attendees to evacuate immediately due to fears of structural collapse, which incited panic and led to a rush towards the exit, ultimately resulting in the stampede.