A six-member judicial inquiry committee constituted by the West Bengal government to probe the 17 October stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata — which claimed 19 lives — is expected to directly shape crowd-safety norms for major community puja pandals from 2027 onwards. The panel's findings on lapses in crowd management, entry-exit arrangements, and emergency infrastructure will be used to frame binding precautionary guidelines for future editions of the festival.

What the Panel Will Examine

According to state government sources, the committee will scrutinise several critical aspects of the pandal's safety arrangements, including permissible footfall limits, entry and exit routes, CCTV camera installation, and the adequacy of emergency evacuation facilities. The panel is also expected to review available CCTV footage, mobile phone video clips, and medical reports of those killed and injured to reconstruct the sequence of events. Eyewitness accounts are likely to be recorded as part of the formal inquiry process.

'The findings of the probe panel on the lapses under these factors in the case of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal will be studied in detail. Based on those findings, precautionary measures will be adopted for major Puja pandals from next year,' a state government official said.

Chairperson Acknowledges the Challenge

The panel's chairperson, retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, told reporters on Thursday that the committee had been directed to submit its report to the state government within three months. She acknowledged the timeline was demanding but expressed commitment to meeting it.

'I admit the task is challenging. But we will be making all efforts to meet the challenge and submit the report in time,' she said.

Justice Roy Saraswati also underscored the inquiry's two-pronged mandate: establishing responsibility for the tragedy and identifying the reasons behind the high death toll. 'Next, we will have to find out the reasons for so many deaths. The culprits have to be held accountable. Accordingly, instructions will be given to the community Durga Puja committees, so that such tragedies do not happen in the future,' she added.

Why a Retired Judge Heads the Probe

The committee's formation followed an initial setback. The state government had first sought to appoint a serving judge of the Calcutta High Court to lead the inquiry — a preference reportedly expressed by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The Chief Secretary's office formally wrote to the office of Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge requesting the appointment.

However, on Tuesday, Chief Justice Ghuge informed the state government that an earlier Supreme Court order barred serving judges from heading such commissions. The government was advised to nominate a retired judge instead. The six-member panel was formally announced on Wednesday, clearing the way for a detailed probe.

Significance for Future Puja Safety

The Durga Puja festival draws millions of visitors to pandals across Kolkata and West Bengal each year, making crowd management a perennial challenge. This is one of the deadliest stampede incidents in recent memory at a Bengal puja gathering, and the inquiry's recommendations are expected to carry significant weight in reshaping how authorities and organisers plan crowd control at large-scale religious events. The panel's report, if submitted within the three-month window, would arrive well before preparations for the 2027 Durga Puja season begin in earnest.