Seven Arrested After Deadly Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede

Kolkata Police arrested seven people in connection with a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal that killed 19 people and injured 25, according to reports. The arrests followed the questioning of 14 people detained on Saturday night, police said on October 18. Those arrested include Chorbagan Sarbojanin Puja Committee secretary Raj Kumar Sewda and vice-president Santanu Dubey, as well as people assigned crowd-management and venue duties and two private-security personnel. Police accounts said the accused included Biplab Mukherjee, Pintu Dey and Koushik Saha, who was also responsible for checking VIP passes, and security staff Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal. Kolkata Police registered a suo motu case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A forensic team visited the site on Muktarambabu Street, while investigators examined CCTV footage as they sought to establish how the crush unfolded. Police said the seven arrested were among those initially detained. The investigation is ongoing, and the arrests do not establish individual responsibility for the deaths. The stampede occurred on Saturday evening as devotees gathered at the north Kolkata pandal for Durga Puja....