Kolkata, Oct 26 (IANS) The judicial panel, set up by the West Bengal government to probe the stampede tragedy at the pandal of Chorbagan Sarbaojanin community Durga Puja committee in north Kolkata on October 17, leaving 19 dead, on Monday said that it will start its evidence collection exercise from October 31.
Committee Chairperson, Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati (retd), made the announcement after the panel members had a high-level meeting with the top bureaucrats and police officials at the state Secretariat Nabanna.
The meeting discussed various issues related to the stampede tragedy, like the probable cause of the accident, possible infrastructural lapses within the pandal, and lack of proper crowd control management, among others, a Secretariat source said.
The judicial probe panel members had visited the pandal last week. After that, the Chairperson highlighted a number of points like pathetically narrow entrance and exit routes and inadequate lighting arrangements within the pandal premises. She also claimed that, as informed by the police to her, the emergency exit gate of the Puja pandal was also closed at the time when the stampede took place.
“While that was just the initial observation made by the probe panel Chairperson after visiting the pandal, more reasons behind the stampede tragedy might be revealed after the evidence collection exercise is completed,” the Secretariat source said.
Although the idols of Chorbagan Sarbojanin had been immersed on Saturday, the pandal structure had been kept intact till the investigation behind the stampede tragedy is completed. The judicial panel is expected to complete the investigation process and submit a report to the state government within three months from the date of beginning of the probe.
Meanwhile, a special investigation team of the Kolkata Police has also started a parallel probe in the matter. Already nine persons have been arrested in this connection. Among the nine arrested, two are suspects of making a misleading announcement that triggered panic among the devotees present within the pandal and prompted them to rush towards the exit gate, leading to the stampede
–IANS
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