Kolkata Stampede: Accused Was Told to Announce Pandal Collapse and Go Underground, Wife Alleges

Majumdar, also known as Kushal and Kalia, was arrested by Kolkata Police on Friday for allegedly making a misleading announcement that triggered panic among devotees at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on the night of October 17.

Speaking to the media after his arrest, his wife, Koel Majumdar, claimed that her husband had been directed to make the announcement by senior officials of the Puja organising committee.

She alleged that after the stampede, some committee members advised him to go into hiding rather than surrender to the police.

“My husband is an app-cab driver by profession and has been associated with Chorbagan Sarbojanin for a long time. Our house at Amar Bose Lane is very close to the pandal. After the stampede took a serious turn, a section of the Puja organising committee advised my husband to go absconding and remain underground till October 27. Otherwise, he wanted to surrender to the police on the night of the tragedy itself,” she said.

Koel claimed that her husband had been associated with the organising committee for nearly 18 years but had never previously been assigned public-announcement duties during Durga Puja because, according to her, he was not particularly confident in verbal communication.

She alleged that on the night of the incident, senior committee members instructed him to announce that the pandal had collapsed. According to her, he made the announcement believing that the situation could become more dangerous.

Koel further claimed that her husband contacted her the following morning and told her that some senior committee officials had advised him to remain underground until October 27.

She added that he had been experiencing remorse over the incident.

Police probe accused's movements after tragedy

Police sources said Majumdar briefly returned home after the stampede but later left, leaving his mobile phone behind.

He is the second person arrested in connection with the alleged misleading announcement. On Thursday, police arrested Sanjib Raha, alias Sentu, the treasurer of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja organising committee and the prime accused in the case.

The announcement was made as heavy rain and overcrowding had already created a chaotic situation at the pandal. People waiting outside were attempting to enter, while devotees inside were reluctant to leave because of the weather.

Amid the confusion, an announcement claiming that the pandal had collapsed and urging devotees to evacuate immediately reportedly triggered panic. People rushed towards the exits, while others attempted to move through the entrance, contributing to the deadly crowd surge.

The stampede killed 19 people and left several others injured.

Police are investigating the sequence of events leading to the tragedy, including the circumstances surrounding the announcement and the alleged roles of those involved in organising the event.

According to the report, nine people have so far been arrested in connection with the stampede. The allegations made by Majumdar's wife against the organising committee members have not been independently established.