The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, directed the West Bengal government to constitute a judicial probe commission — to be led by a retired judge of the High Court, chosen by the state itself — to investigate the deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata that killed 19 people on the night of 17 October. Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge issued the directive after a sequence of correspondence between the court and the state administration over how to constitute the panel.

How the Probe Commission Was Ordered

The episode began when West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal wrote to the office of Chief Justice Ghuge requesting the nomination of a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court to head the inquiry. The Chief Justice's office, however, declined, citing a prior Supreme Court order that prohibits the appointment of serving judges to statutory commissions. The state was accordingly asked to select a retired judge of its own choosing to lead the commission.

On Tuesday, Chief Justice Ghuge formally directed the state to proceed on that basis, effectively closing the path to using an active bench judge and placing the responsibility for selection squarely on the West Bengal government.

What Chief Minister Adhikari Said

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday met some of the families of those who died in the tragedy and handed over compensation cheques. He stated that the judicial probe commission would be directed to complete its investigation 'on a war footing' and submit its report at the earliest. He added that he would meet the remaining bereaved families — those he could not reach on Tuesday — later in the week.

Adhikari had first announced the judicial commission on the night of 17 October, immediately after the stampede. He also confirmed that to preserve impartiality, representatives from the Kolkata Police, the state fire services department, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation would be excluded from the probe panel. He warned that no one found guilty of negligence — whether the puja organisers or police personnel — would be spared.

Compensation and Support for Victims

The West Bengal government announced ₹25 lakh in financial compensation for the family of each deceased, along with a Group-D government job for a member of the bereaved household. For those injured in the stampede, the state said it would cover all medical expenses and provide an additional financial assistance of ₹5 lakh per injured person.

Background: The Chorbagan Stampede

The tragedy unfolded on the night of 17 October during the Durga Puja festivities at the pandal of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin community, one of Kolkata's high-footfall puja celebrations. A total of 19 people died in the crush. Stampedes at large public religious gatherings in India have repeatedly raised questions about crowd management protocols, structural safety clearances, and coordination between police, civic bodies, and event organisers — precisely the agencies the Chief Minister has now chosen to keep off the probe panel, reportedly to avoid a conflict of interest.

What Happens Next

The West Bengal government must now identify and formally appoint a retired High Court judge to chair the commission. The Chief Minister's assurance of a fast-tracked inquiry will be tested by the speed of that appointment and the timeline the commission sets for recording witness statements, examining site evidence, and finalising its report. Families of victims and civil society groups are expected to watch both the commission's composition and its eventual findings closely.