Kolkata: A locked emergency door, cooler units obstructing movement, a flight of stairs at the exit, inadequate lighting and temporary stalls barely 10 metres from the exit — an SIT investigation into the stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal has exposed multiple lapses in crowd management at the venue where 19 people died on Saptami evening.At its narrowest spot, the exit passage was merely 2.7 metres wide and 4.7 metres at its widest, the SIT has found. With no volunteers to guide visitors towards the emergency gate – which doubled as a VIP exit – the passage became a bottleneck when rain triggered a crowd surge. Several people fell at the stairs near the exit and got trampled.The organising club’s treasurer, Sanjeev Raha alias Sentu, has been arrested in Nadia. Cops have identified him as the announcer who had urged the crowd to move out, saying the pandal was about to collapse. This, amid rain, had triggered the stampede, the SIT suspects. Sentu’s is the eighth arrest in the case.Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari had blamed the announcer and temporary homeguards managing the crowd for contributing to the chaos. He alleged that homeguards holding crowd-control ropes fled when it began raining, leaving visitors without adequate management. After a meeting at Bhabani Bhawan on Sunday, Adhikari proposed the formation of a fact-finding committee headed by a sitting judge or a retired judge. He said the panel would examine the roles of Kolkata Police, fire brigade and KMC.Raha had gone into hiding and switched off his phone after the fatal stampede. Investigators tracked him down by monitoring his movements through CCTV footage and tracing eight phone numbers.State govt on Tuesday formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, identify causes, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. The SIT, headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, also includes Jawed Shamim, ADG, Bengal STF, other state govt officials and a representative of the National Disaster Response Force. Kolkata Police, KMC and fire department have been kept out of the SIT because they had granted permissions for the pandal.“Every allegation will be probed with an open mind,” Justice Roy Saraswati said after visiting the spot on Thursday. She said the role of police may also be scrutinised.According to an investigator, hundreds of visitors were queuing at Radha Madhab Saha Lane, off Muktaram Babu Street, to enter the pandal when rain started around 7.15pm. Many in the crowd tried to move into the pandal, trapping those already inside. In an attempt to get out, many fell at the stairs and got trampled. Locals had to dismantle parts of the pandal to pull people out.Initial postmortem reports suggest at least seven victims died of suffocation. Others suffered severe rib fractures, ruptured lungs or traumatic head injuries.The Chorbagan puja had emerged as a major attraction this year with its theme ‘Beyond Sound’. While it saw the highest footfall among north Kolkata pujas on three days, organisers did not introduce additional crowd management measures on Saptami.On Thursday, a forensic team, KP detective department homicide officers and SIT members inspected the site, examining structures, stalls and hoardings with the help of detailed site plans. Investigators found that an elevated, gallery-like structure encircled the idol, allowing visitors a 360-degree view but increasing crowd density inside the temporary pavilion. The passage was about 7 feet 7 inches wide. Poor lighting and inadequate signage further hampered visitors trying to locate exits.“We have conducted 3D mapping of the site and cross-referenced postmortem reports with CCTV footage,” an officer said.Of the 30 CCTV cameras installed at the venue, 13 captured footage of the incident, JCP (crime) Kunal Aggarwal said. The footage analysis indicated that rain caused severe congestion at the narrow exit. Investigators, however, found no evidence of structural failure.Entry and exit arrangements at the puja had been radically altered this year, former members of the Chorbagan puja committee. In previous years, visitors moved along either side of the idol to leave, while an iron perimeter gate could be shut during a sudden crowd surge. This year, the passage was changed to the circular grille-enclosed platform.In previous years, around 100 Kolkata Police personnel, led by three assistant commissioners, were deployed at the venue. This year, the initial deployment was reduced to 25 personnel under an inspector. The force was later increased to 100 on Tritiya, with two deputy commissioners taking charge from Chaturthi. Lalbazar sources said both officers were serving in Kolkata Police for the first time.
