Kolkata Durga Puja stampede: SIT to quiz pandal artist, 3 eyewitnesses on Oct 28
Synopsis
Nine days after a false 'pandal collapse' announcement sparked a stampede that killed 19 at Kolkata's Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja, the SIT is closing in on the designer of the pandal itself — questioning whether a flawed layout and an overcrowded space made the tragedy inevitable even before the panic began.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police SIT has summoned pandal artist Sushanta Sibani Paul for interrogation on 28 October 2026 .
Three eyewitnesses have also been called to record their statements about the 17 October stampede.
The stampede at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata killed 19 people and injured several others.
A false announcement warning of a pandal collapse is a key suspected trigger; two persons have been arrested over it.
A judicial inquiry commission headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati is running parallel to the SIT probe, with a report due within three months .
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police, probing the deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata that killed 19 people on 17 October 2026, has summoned pandal theme artist Sushanta Sibani Paul for interrogation on 28 October. The SIT has also called in three eyewitnesses to record their statements as investigators work to reconstruct the sequence of events behind one of Kolkata's deadliest festival tragedies in recent memory.
What the SIT Is Investigating
The team, headed by an assistant commissioner attached to the detective department of the city police, is scrutinising the pandal's structural design, crowd movement patterns, and the specific circumstances that triggered mass panic among devotees. According to a city police official, Paul has been directed to appear at the SIT's headquarters at Lalbazar in central Kolkata by 28 October.
'By interrogating him, the investigating officials want to examine the pandal's design and whether any defects or limitations in its layout left insufficient space to accommodate the massive crowds,' the official said.
The Misleading Announcement Theory
Initial findings point to a false announcement as a key trigger. On the night of 17 October, the already overcrowded pandal was further stressed by heavy rain — devotees waiting outside were pressing to enter while those inside were reluctant to leave due to the weather. Amid this volatile situation, an announcement falsely warning that the pandal had collapsed and urging immediate evacuation ignited a stampede.
The resulting rush toward the exits killed 19 people and injured several others. Two persons have already been arrested on suspicion of making the misleading announcement. Questioning the three eyewitnesses is expected to help establish how strongly the evidence supports this theory, according to police officials.
Two Parallel Probes Underway
The tragedy is being examined through two simultaneous investigations. The Kolkata Police SIT is conducting a criminal probe, while a state government-appointed judicial inquiry commission — headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati — is running a parallel inquiry. The judicial panel is expected to submit its report to the state government within three months of the commencement of the probe.
Both investigations are tasked with establishing accountability for the deaths and injuries, and with identifying systemic failures — whether in crowd management, pandal design, or official oversight — that contributed to the disaster.
What Comes Next
The SIT's interrogation of Paul on 28 October is expected to yield critical evidence on whether the pandal's physical layout was inherently unsafe for the volumes of devotees it attracted. Meanwhile, the statements of the three eyewitnesses could either corroborate or complicate the 'misleading announcement' narrative that investigators have so far treated as central to the case. With the judicial commission also beginning its work, pressure is mounting on the organisers and authorities to account for how a religious celebration turned fatal.
Point of View
Inadequate entry and exit planning, absent crowd-control protocols, and organisational negligence. The dual-track investigation — SIT plus judicial commission — is procedurally sound, but risks producing contradictory findings that allow accountability to fall through the cracks. The real test is whether either body recommends enforceable safety standards for Kolkata's massive puja pandals going forward, or whether this remains yet another inquiry whose report gathers dust.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal on 17 October?
A stampede erupted at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on 17 October 2026, killing 19 people and injuring several others. The tragedy occurred when a false announcement warning that the pandal had collapsed triggered a mass rush toward exits in a heavily overcrowded, rain-stressed venue.
Why has the SIT summoned pandal artist Sushanta Sibani Paul?
The SIT wants to examine whether the pandal's design had structural defects or layout limitations that left insufficient space for the large crowds it attracted. Paul, as the theme artist responsible for the pandal's design, is considered a key figure in establishing whether the physical setup contributed to the deadly crush.
Who has been arrested in connection with the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede?
Two persons have been arrested on suspicion of making the false announcement that the pandal had collapsed, which investigators believe triggered the panic leading to the stampede. Further arrests or charges may follow as the SIT completes its interrogations.
What is the judicial inquiry commission and when will it report?
A state government-appointed judicial inquiry commission headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati is running a parallel probe into the stampede. The panel is expected to complete its inquiry and submit a report to the state government within three months of commencing work.
What happens after the SIT interrogations on 28 October?
After questioning pandal artist Sushanta Sibani Paul and the three eyewitnesses, the SIT is expected to consolidate evidence to either confirm or revise its current theory that a misleading announcement was the principal trigger. The findings will inform potential further arrests and, eventually, a charge sheet in the case.
