Kolkata stampede: Police arrest man for spreading misinformation, 13 CCTV feeds secured
Synopsis
One man has been arrested for falsely claiming 60 people died in the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede — not 19 — by sharing an unrelated old video. With 13 of 30 CCTV feeds secured and the source of the panic-triggering announcement still unidentified, Kolkata Police are racing on two parallel fronts: the physical investigation and a cybercrime sweep.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police cybercrime division is tracking social media handles spreading misinformation about the 17 October Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja stampede.
19 people were killed in the stampede; one arrested man falsely claimed the toll was 60 .
The arrested individual, Ainul Haque of Cooch Behar , has been charged under Section 353(2) of the BNS 2023 .
Investigators have secured footage from 13 of 30 CCTV cameras at the pandal and are still reviewing it.
The person responsible for the false announcement that triggered the panic has not yet been identified.
Kolkata Police's cybercrime division has launched a targeted operation to track social media handles spreading misinformation about the 17 October 2026 stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, which claimed 19 lives. Authorities have made the first arrest in the misinformation crackdown and are examining CCTV footage as the broader investigation continues.
First Arrest in Misinformation Crackdown
One person was arrested on Monday night for making a misleading post about the tragedy. The accused, Ainul Haque, a resident of Cooch Behar district in North Bengal, is alleged to have shared an old video of an unrelated incident while falsely claiming that 60 people — not 19 — were killed in the stampede. Additional Commissioner (Crime) Kunal Agarwal confirmed the arrest.
Haque has been charged under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, which penalises making, publishing, or circulating false statements or reports likely to create enmity, hatred, or ill will between different groups. Investigators are now probing whether Haque acted alone or as part of an organised network.
Police Issue Public Advisory
The Kolkata Police have cautioned citizens against sharing unverified posts about the tragedy on social media. Authorities have also urged the public to report any misleading content related to the stampede directly to the police. The appeal underscores the force's concern that viral misinformation could inflame communal tensions in the aftermath of the disaster.
CCTV Evidence and the Hunt for the Source
The Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal had 30 CCTV cameras installed at the time of the incident. Investigators have so far secured footage from 13 of them and are still reviewing the available recordings. Crucially, the investigation team has yet to identify the person or persons responsible for the false announcement made that night — a misleading alert that reportedly triggered the panic stampede among the large crowd of devotees present.
Background: The Stampede
The tragedy struck on the night of Saturday, 17 October, at the pandal of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin community Durga Puja committee, one of Kolkata's prominent Puja gatherings. A total of 19 people were killed. According to investigators, a misleading announcement — the source of which remains untraced — set off a wave of panic, leading to the deadly crush. The incident has prompted both a criminal investigation into the events on the ground and a parallel cybercrime inquiry into the online information environment surrounding it.
With CCTV analysis ongoing and the cybercrime unit widening its net, authorities expect the investigation to yield further arrests in the coming days.
Point of View
Another into online misinformation — reflects a growing pattern where post-disaster information warfare compounds the original tragedy. The charge under Section 353(2) of the BNS, targeting content that creates 'enmity between groups,' signals authorities are treating this as more than a simple fake-news case. The still-unidentified source of the panic-inducing announcement inside the pandal is the more consequential thread: it is the direct causal link to 19 deaths, yet it remains unresolved. Until that question is answered, the criminal accountability picture is incomplete.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Kolkata Chorbagan Sarbojanin stampede?
A stampede on the night of 17 October 2026 at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata killed 19 people. Investigators believe a misleading announcement triggered panic among the large crowd of devotees gathered at the pandal.
Who was arrested for spreading misinformation about the Kolkata stampede?
Ainul Haque, a resident of Cooch Behar district in North Bengal, was arrested on Monday night. He allegedly shared an old video of an unrelated incident while falsely claiming that 60 people, not 19, had died in the stampede.
What law has been invoked against the arrested man?
Haque has been charged under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, which penalises making, publishing, or circulating false statements likely to create enmity, hatred, or ill will between different groups.
What is the status of the CCTV investigation?
The Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal had 30 CCTV cameras. Investigators have secured footage from 13 of them and are continuing to review the recordings. The person who made the misleading announcement that triggered the panic has not yet been identified.
What has Kolkata Police advised the public?
Kolkata Police have urged citizens not to share unverified posts about the stampede on social media and to report any misleading content about the incident to authorities. The advisory is aimed at preventing further spread of false information that could inflame tensions.
