Kolkata Durga Puja stampede: CM meets families of 3 deceased, hands over Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia

Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday met the relatives of three of the 19 deceased in the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede a few days ago and handed over Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to each of the grieving families.

Adhikari first visited the family members of Togor Bej (37) and her son, Sandip Bej (14), in Purba Bardhaman district and assured them of all possible assistance.

The CM also met the family of Piyali Pramanik, who lost her life in the tragedy, at Arambagh in Hooghly district.

Pramanik was Togor's sister-in-law.

"I have no words to console you, nor do I have the power to bring back those who have left us. I can feel your pain. I am handing over Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to you," Adhikari told the family members of Togor and Sandip at their residence in the Madhavdighi area of Purba Bardhaman district.

Later, he visited and interacted with the bereaved family members of Pramanik.

Besides handing over the compensation cheque, the chief minister paid tribute to the deceased woman.

"I am with you all. Do not worry. Unlike the previous government, we believe not in words but in action," he told the Pramanik family.

19 killed, 25 injured in Kolkata stampede

Nineteen people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening.

Adhikari criticises previous government, seeks judicial probe

Speaking to the media, Adhikari criticised the TMC government for the manner it had dealt with such incidents during its tenure.

"Unlike my predecessor, I consider this one of my responsibilities. In earlier instances, aggrieved families had to approach the Calcutta High Court or the Supreme Court to get an inquiry ordered. Have you ever heard of a government paying compensation of Rs 25 lakh?" he said.

Adhikari said the chief secretary had written to the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court on Monday, requesting the nomination of a sitting judge to probe the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede incident.

He also said that since the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, no representative from the two organisations had been included in the team constituted to probe the mishap.