‘He knows who gave the order’: Wife of Chorbagan stampede announcer Kushal Majumdar makes claim

Kolkata: Kolkata Police have detained Kushal Majumdar, alias Kalia, one of the announcers at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal where a stampede killed 19 people and injured 25 others on October 17.

His detention comes a day after police arrested another announcer, Sanjib Raha, alias Sentu, from Nadia in connection with the incident.

Kushal’s wife told the media that her husband had surrendered at a police station on Thursday night.

She claimed that some members of the puja committee advised him not to come forward, but he decided to surrender because he believed he had done nothing wrong.  

The announcers' role has come under scrutiny after allegations that repeated announcements warning of a pandal collapse triggered panic among visitors during heavy rain on Saptami evening.

According to allegations, announcements over the public address system urged visitors to leave, warning that the pandal was in a dangerous condition. The warnings allegedly heightened anxiety among the crowd and contributed to the rush to exit the premises.

Kushal’s wife claimed her husband was instructed to announce that the pandal was collapsing. She also said he knew who had allegedly given him the instruction. The claim has not been independently established.

The investigation has raised questions about who authorised the announcements, whether the announcers acted on instructions, and whether the organisers had adequate crowd-control arrangements in place.

The deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal occurred on October 17, the first day of Saptami.

The incident left 19 people dead and 25 injured, prompting scrutiny of the organisers’ preparedness and crowd-management measures at the large-scale celebration.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda said that a special investigation team (SIT), headed by a retired judge, had been constituted and that the police were conducting a separate investigation.

‘It would not be appropriate to make any comments at this stage. Whatever emerges from the investigation will be shared with all of you,’ Nanda said.

The circumstances leading to the stampede, the sequence of announcements and the responsibility of the organisers remain key aspects of the investigation.