Kolkata Durga Puja stampede: Judicial panel to collect evidence from October 31
Synopsis
West Bengal's judicial panel probing the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede that killed 19 will begin formal evidence collection on October 31. Early findings already point to locked emergency exits, narrow pathways, and a misleading announcement that triggered the fatal panic — with nine people arrested so far.
Key Takeaways
The judicial probe panel will begin evidence collection on 31 October 2026 into the Chorbagan Sarbaojanin Durga Puja stampede.
The tragedy on 17 October 2026 in north Kolkata killed 19 people .
Panel Chairperson Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati (retd) flagged narrow exits, poor lighting, and a locked emergency gate as preliminary concerns.
Nine persons have been arrested by the Kolkata Police SIT, two of whom allegedly made a misleading announcement that sparked the fatal rush.
The final probe report is due within three months , placing the deadline around late January 2027 .
The pandal structure has been preserved intact until the investigation concludes.
A judicial probe panel set up by the West Bengal government to investigate the Chorbagan Sarbaojanin Durga Puja stampede in north Kolkata — which claimed 19 lives on 17 October 2026 — announced on Monday, 26 October that it will formally begin its evidence collection exercise from 31 October. The panel's Chairperson, Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati (retd), made the disclosure following a high-level meeting with senior bureaucrats and police officials at the state Secretariat Nabanna.
Key Developments from the Panel Meeting
The meeting at Nabanna covered a wide range of concerns surrounding the tragedy, including the probable cause of the accident, possible infrastructural lapses within the puja pandal, and the failure of adequate crowd control management, according to a Secretariat source. Officials present included top-ranking bureaucrats and law enforcement personnel, underscoring the gravity the state government has attached to the inquiry.
Initial Observations: Narrow Exits and Locked Emergency Gate
After visiting the Chorbagan Sarbaojanin pandal last week, Justice Roy Saraswati flagged several alarming deficiencies. She pointed to pathetically narrow
entrance and exit routes, as well as inadequate lighting arrangements within the pandal premises. Critically, she noted — citing information provided by police — that the emergency exit gate of the pandal was closed at the time the stampede erupted. These findings represent only preliminary observations; a fuller picture is expected to emerge once the formal evidence collection phase is under way.
Parallel Police Investigation: Nine Arrested
A special investigation team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police has simultaneously launched a parallel probe into the incident. As of Monday, nine persons have been arrested in connection with the stampede. Two of the nine are suspects accused of making a misleading announcement inside the pandal that reportedly triggered panic among devotees, prompting a rush toward the exit gate and precipitating the fatal crush.
Pandal Preserved; Report Due Within Three Months
Although the idols of the Chorbagan Sarbaojanin committee were immersed on Saturday, the pandal structure has been kept intact pending completion of the investigation. The judicial panel is expected to submit its final report to the state government within three months from the date the probe officially begins — placing the deadline around late January 2027. The dual-track inquiry — the judicial panel and the police SIT — reflects the scale of public accountability demanded after the tragedy.
Point of View
Dangerously narrow corridors, and inadequate lighting — point to systemic failure in puja pandal safety oversight, not merely a one-off tragedy. West Bengal issues hundreds of permissions for large Durga Puja gatherings each year with limited structural audit. The two-track inquiry (judicial panel plus police SIT) may yield accountability on arrests, but the harder question — who approved a pandal with sealed emergency exits — demands regulatory reform, not just criminal charges. If the three-month deadline slips or findings are diluted, the 19 deaths risk becoming another line in a longer catalogue of crowd-safety failures across India's mass religious events.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede judicial probe panel?
It is a judicial committee constituted by the West Bengal government to investigate the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbaojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on 17 October 2026, which killed 19 people. The panel is chaired by retired judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati and is expected to submit its report within three months.
When will the judicial panel begin collecting evidence?
The panel announced on 26 October 2026 that formal evidence collection will commence on 31 October 2026. A final report is expected to be submitted to the West Bengal government by around late January 2027.
What were the early findings of the probe panel?
After visiting the pandal, Justice Roy Saraswati flagged pathetically narrow entry and exit routes, inadequate lighting, and — crucially — an emergency exit gate that was reportedly closed at the time of the stampede. These remain preliminary observations pending the full evidence review.
How many people have been arrested in the Kolkata stampede case?
A special investigation team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police has arrested nine persons so far. Two of them are suspects accused of making a misleading announcement inside the pandal that allegedly triggered panic and the fatal crowd rush toward the exit.
Why has the Chorbagan Sarbaojanin pandal not been dismantled?
The pandal structure has been deliberately preserved by authorities as a crime scene to allow investigators to conduct a thorough on-site examination. The idols were immersed on Saturday, but the structure will remain intact until the probe is completed.
