Kolkata Puja pandal stampede: Arrested man may have Bangladeshi links, say investigators
Synopsis
A man arrested for falsely inflating the Kolkata Durga Puja pandal stampede death toll — claiming 60 died when 19 did — may have links to Bangladesh, investigators say. The STF has reportedly already secured specific clues, and the video he shared is suspected to originate from Bangladesh, turning a misinformation case into a potential cross-border influence investigation.
Key Takeaways
Ainul Haque of Cooch Behar , arrested for falsely claiming 60 deaths in the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal stampede, is suspected of having Bangladeshi links , say investigators.
The actual death toll from the 17 October stampede at the Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata was 19 .
Haque is charged under Section 353(2) of the BNS 2023 for circulating false statements likely to create enmity between groups.
The Special Task Force (STF) has reportedly procured specific clues pointing to Bangladeshi links and is continuing its probe.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh backed suspicions of foreign involvement, alleging money flows into West Bengal through such agents.
Kolkata Police 's cybercrime division is actively tracking social media misinformation and has warned the public against sharing unverified posts.
Ainul Haque, a resident of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal, arrested for posting misleading information about the death toll in the Chorbagan Sarbojanin community Durga Puja pandal stampede on the night of 17 October, may have links to Bangladesh, according to Investigating Officials probing the case. The claim of a foreign connection adds a fresh dimension to what began as a misinformation case following a tragedy that claimed 19 lives.
What Haque Is Accused Of
Haque allegedly shared an old video of a similar incident — reportedly from Bangladesh — and falsely claimed that 60 people, not 19, had been killed in the stampede on Saturday night. He 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.
Bangladesh Links Under Scrutiny
According to an insider from the state police, the sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) have already procured specific clues hinting at Bangladeshi connections, and the Investigating Officers are digging further to establish the exact nature of those links. The video Haque is said to have shared is now suspected by Investigating Officers to be linked to an incident in Bangladesh rather than the Kolkata stampede. Officers are also interrogating him to determine his exact intention behind amplifying a false narrative around a tragedy of this scale.
What BJP Leader Dilip Ghosh Said
State panchayat affairs and rural development minister and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, said he too harboured suspicions of foreign links. 'Such people are causing trouble everywhere and trying to disrupt peace. Some of them are agents of Bangladesh while some are agents of Nepal. They are plotting unrest in India. Besides, money has been flowing into West Bengal through them for a long time. It is still flowing in,' Ghosh said. He added that the administration was monitoring the situation and that no one involved in wrongdoing would be spared.
Cybercrime Division Acts Against Misinformation
The cybercrime division of the Kolkata Police has begun tracking attempts to spread misinformation about the stampede on social media. The division has publicly cautioned citizens to refrain from sharing unverified posts related to the tragedy. Investigators say this is part of a broader effort to prevent rumour-mongering from inflaming tensions in the aftermath of a mass-casualty event during a major religious festival. This comes amid heightened sensitivity around communal harmony in West Bengal, a state that has seen repeated concerns over cross-border influence and misinformation campaigns.
What Happens Next
Investigators are expected to continue interrogating Haque while pursuing further evidence of any transnational links. The STF probe into the social media angle will run parallel to the ongoing inquiry into the circumstances of the stampede itself. How quickly authorities can establish — or rule out — a Bangladeshi connection is likely to shape the political as well as law-enforcement trajectory of the case.
Point of View
Still unverified at the time of reporting, is doing significant political work before investigators have publicly confirmed anything substantive. Dilip Ghosh's remarks — delivered to the media before the STF has concluded its probe — risk conflating a criminal misinformation case with a broader communal and geopolitical narrative. West Bengal's fraught history of cross-border tensions means that allegation and fact can quickly become indistinguishable in public discourse. The more urgent accountability question — how 19 people died in a stampede at a public festival — risks being overshadowed by the misinformation subplot. Authorities owe the public answers on both fronts simultaneously, not sequentially.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ainul Haque and why was he arrested?
Ainul Haque is a resident of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal who was arrested for sharing a misleading social media post claiming that 60 people had been killed in the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal stampede on 17 October, when the actual death toll was 19. He is also accused of sharing an old video from a different incident, reportedly from Bangladesh, to support the false claim.
What charges has Ainul Haque been booked under?
He 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.
What is the suspected Bangladeshi connection?
Investigators from the Special Task Force (STF) have reportedly procured specific clues suggesting Haque may have links to Bangladesh. The video he shared on social media is also suspected by Investigating Officers to depict an incident from Bangladesh rather than the Kolkata stampede. The probe is ongoing.
How many people died in the Kolkata Durga Puja pandal stampede?
19 people were killed in the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin community Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on the night of 17 October. Haque falsely claimed the figure was 60.
What is the Kolkata Police doing to counter misinformation?
The cybercrime division of the Kolkata Police has begun actively tracking social media posts spreading false information about the stampede. It has also issued a public advisory urging citizens not to share unverified posts about the tragedy.
