West Bengal has deployed 18 IPS officers to oversee the immersion of Durga idols across four cities — Kolkata, Howrah, Barrackpore, and Chandannagar — with the process running from Dashami on 21 October 2026 through 24 October 2026. The move follows heightened security concerns after a deadly stampede earlier in the festival season, according to a senior police officer.

How the Officers Are Deployed

Of the 18 IPS officers assigned, 12 have been stationed within the Kolkata Police jurisdiction alone. A formal notification was issued by state police late Tuesday night, detailing each officer's assigned dates and areas of responsibility.

For Kolkata, officers Gaurav Sharma, Soma Das Mitra, Rashid Munir Khan, Akash Magharia, Suresh Kumar Chadive, and Dhritimaan Sarkar will supervise immersion on 21 and 23 October. Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Imran Wahab, Sheesh Ram Jhajharia, Soumya Roy, Parijat Biswas, and Siddharth Dhapola will take charge on 22 and 24 October.

In Howrah, Indra Chakraborty will supervise on 21 and 23 October, with Avaru Rabindranath on duty for 22 and 24 October. Palash Chandra Dhali and Duteeman Bhattacharya have been assigned to Barrackpore Police District, while Abhijit Banerjee and Sandeep Mandal will cover Chandannagar.

The Stampede That Changed Everything

The unprecedented security mobilisation is a direct response to a tragedy on 17 October — the first day of Saptami — when 19 people were killed in a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojonin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. Eyewitnesses said a sudden spell of rain triggered panic in the crowd, compounding what was already a dangerously congested venue. It is also alleged that announcements made by puja organisers contributed to the chaos.

The Kolkata Police subsequently formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, and seven people have been arrested in connection with it. This is among the deadliest crowd-crush incidents at a Durga Puja venue in recent memory.

What the Administration Has Put in Place

Since the Chorebagan stampede, the state administration has markedly stepped up its crowd-management framework at popular puja pandals across the city. Continuous surveillance is now in effect, and additional personnel have been deployed at high-footfall sites. The deployment of IPS-rank officers — rather than only lower-ranking supervisory staff — signals that the government is treating immersion safety as a matter of direct administrative accountability.

The state is giving particular attention to the immersion ghats and procession routes in Howrah, Barrackpore, and Chandannagar, each receiving two IPS officers each.

What Comes Next

The immersion process will continue through 24 October 2026, with officer rosters rotating across the four cities. The SIT investigation into the Chorebagan tragedy is ongoing, and authorities say crowd-control protocols will remain in place until the festival concludes. Observers and civil society groups are watching whether the enhanced oversight translates into accountability — both for this year's arrangements and for future large-scale public gatherings in the state.