Chorebagan pandal stampede: SIT quizzes police and fire department over October 17 tragedy

The state-appointed special investigation team (SIT) probing the October 17 Chorebagan stampede questioned police and fire department officials on Saturday.

The SIT, headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Anindita Roy Saraswati, met at Writers' Buildings and recorded statements of a dozen people as part of the ongoing probe, sources said.

"As many as 16 officers of Kolkata Police, including two of the rank of deputy commissioner of police, have been summoned and their statements will be recorded over the next few days," a senior officer said.

"Some residents may also be summoned," the officer added.

The SIT has been tasked with examining what went wrong at Chorebagan, identifying possible lapses and determining whether any individuals or agencies should be held accountable for the deaths of 19 people.

The team is expected to submit its report within three months, after which the government will decide on the next course of action.

Sources said SIT members collected reports prepared by Kolkata Police during its investigation into the stampede, including CCTV footage and statements from eyewitnesses and theme artist Sushanta Shibani Paul.

"The probe will also take into account multiple factors, including whether the narrow entryway, unauthorised placement of stalls along the pathway and alleged structural deviations in the pandal created a bottleneck," the officer said.

"The announcement over the microphone, which allegedly triggered panic, will be examined in the context of this bottleneck," the officer added.

While the SIT members met at Writers' Buildings, the police produced eight of the nine accused at Bankshall Court.

The public prosecutor opposed their bail pleas, arguing that further interrogation of the accused was necessary.

The court remanded the eight accused to judicial custody till November 13.