Chorbagan stampede: Abhishek demands arrest of top functionaries of Durga Puja committee

Kolkata: Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday demanded that the top functionaries of the Chorbagan Durga Puja committee be taken into custody for questioning in connection with the stampede that claimed 19 lives on October 17.

Claiming that 12 days had passed since the incident, Banerjee raised questions over the transparency of the investigation and sought an impartial probe into the roles of the organisers.

"The names of BJP MLA Vijay Ojha as chairman, BJP district president Tamoghna Ghosh as chief advisor and Devdeep Adhikari as chief patron of the organising committee have come up," he said in a social media post.


Also Read: Kolkata Police compiling list of personnel on duty during stampede for questioning

"What progress has been made in investigating their roles and why have they not been arrested or questioned," he asked.

Questioning whether "political connections" were influencing the investigation, Banerjee said the SIT investigation must be impartial, transparent and devoid of any influence.

He said the responsibility for so many deaths cannot be avoided with the "arrest of some minions".

Police have arrested nine people in connection with the incident, including an announcer whose alleged announcements over the public address system, asking visitors to leave the pandal immediately amid a sudden downpour, allegedly contributed to the stampede.

Banerjee, who belongs to the Mamata Banerjee camp after the split in the TMC, said the investigation must cover all aspects of the organisation of the Chorbagan community Durga Puja, including decision-making and safety and security arrangements inside and around the pandal.

The event draws large crowds every year despite the venue being located in a narrow lane in north Kolkata, he said.

Asserting that political influence could not place anyone above the law, Banerjee said, "Those who are trying to shield the accused persons by using their power should remember that such clout is not perennial."

"If anyone is shielded through influence or due to laxity in the investigation, they will have to answer for it in the future, which may also lead to incarceration," he added.

Demanding justice for the 19 victims, Banerjee said, "Either lawful steps are taken or those not taking them should be prepared to face hard questions from the law..

The West Bengal government has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, to inquire into the incident and make appropriate recommendations.