Bengal deploys 9 IPS officers after Kolkata pandal stampede kills 19

The West Bengal government on Sunday decided to deploy nine senior IPS officers experienced in Durga Puja crowd management to oversee the festive rush in Kolkata, a day after a stampede at a pandal claimed 19 lives, an official said.

The decision comes amid mounting concerns over crowd management, police deployment and allegations of negligence against puja organisers following the tragedy at Chorbagan. Kolkata Police has also issued an 11-point advisory to personnel deployed at major pandals to prevent further incidents.

𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱

A senior official said the officers assigned crowd-management duties are Sumanjit Ray, IG (Border); Mehmud Akhtar, IG (IB); Miraj Khalid, IG (Traffic); Rupesh Kumar, DIG (STF); Shubhankar Bhattacharya, DIG (Traffic); Tarun Haldar, DIG (CID); Soumya Ray, SS (EB); Priyabrata Ray, SP (Traffic); and Deepak Sarkar, SS (CID).

The officers have previously handled large gatherings during Durga Puja in Kolkata and have been brought in to strengthen arrangements and prevent a recurrence of the Chorbagan tragedy.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻

Under the 11-point advisory, police personnel have been directed to close entry points to pandals during rainfall and ensure the safe evacuation of visitors already inside. No additional visitors will be permitted to enter during such conditions.

Police have also been instructed to ensure adequate lighting at pandals and remain at their assigned posts even during rain. Visitor movement must be regulated according to prevailing conditions to avoid overcrowding.

Vehicles carrying VIPs will not be allowed to approach pandals directly and must instead be parked at designated distances to prevent congestion.

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀

The advisory further directs police personnel to monitor announcements made by puja organisers and ensure that entry and exit routes are not changed abruptly, which could trigger confusion among visitors.

Every officer and constable on duty must coordinate with a team of five to six volunteers from the respective puja committee to maintain orderly crowd movement.

Police personnel have also been instructed to keep ropes, guardrails and portable loudspeakers readily available to regulate crowds and respond promptly to emergencies.

The strengthened measures are aimed at ensuring safer movement of visitors at major Durga Puja pandals as large crowds continue to gather across the city during the festivities.