West Bengal Sets Up Retired Justice-Led SIT After Pandal Stampede Kills 19

The West Bengal government has ordered a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a “comprehensive, impartial and thorough inquiry” into the stampede at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal that claimed 19 lives on October 17.

The order was issued on Wednesday (October 21, 2026), and names Justice (Retired) Anindita Roy Saraswati as head of the SIT.

The team will include several other officials of the state government and a representative of the National Disaster Response Force.

Inquiry to examine crowd surge and weather conditions

The SIT has been tasked with establishing the time, location and manner in which the initial crowd surge occurred and developed into a stampede.

It will also examine the prevailing weather conditions at the time, including relevant meteorological reports and rainfall or thunderstorm bulletins.

The inquiry will assess the possible impact of those weather conditions on the movement of the crowd.

The order has been signed by West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal.

The team will inspect and assess the condition and adequacy of passages, barricades, stairways, gates, emergency exits and other structural and access arrangements at the pandal.

It will also examine whether the required permissions were granted in accordance with applicable rules.

The SIT will further examine whether adequate crowd-management plans and disaster-management plans were in place.

The team is required to submit its report, along with its findings and recommendations, to the State Government within three months from the date of issue of the order.

Decision follows court position on inquiry head

The constitution of the SIT follows a change from the arrangement indicated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after the incident.

Mr. Adhikari had said that the inquiry team would be headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.

However, on October 20, a Division Bench presided over by Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge said that a sitting judge of the High Court could not be appointed to head an inquiry, in accordance with a Supreme Court directive.

The government order instead places the retired justice at the head of the six-member team.

Questions over crowd management

The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal had been inaugurated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari himself and drew large crowds during the season before the tragedy occurred on the evening of October 17.

Most of those who died were women and children.

Seven people, including the organisers of the Durga Puja Pandal, have been arrested.

Questions have also been raised over the role of the Kolkata Police, which was responsible for crowd management at the pandal.

The Kolkata Police, however, does not have a member on the SIT.

The team’s mandate covers both the immediate crowd surge and the arrangements through which people entered, moved through and exited the pandal, including passages, barricades, stairways, gates and emergency exits.

It will also look at the permissions, crowd-management plans and disaster-management plans connected with the event.

Chief Minister meets families of deceased

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met the families of the deceased for the second consecutive day.

Mr. Adhikari visited the New Barrackpore and New Town areas and handed over a cheque for ₹25 lakh to the kin of the deceased.

The state government has promised compensation of ₹25 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.

The SIT’s findings and recommendations are to be submitted to the State Government within three months of the order being issued.

Political criticism of the probe

Kunal Ghosh, spokesperson of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, said the SIT would have “no real purpose” unless the BJP leaders who were in charge of the Durga Puja pandal were arrested.

Mr. Ghosh also said that poor home guards and members of a private security agency were being made scapegoats in the stampede incident.