Kolkata pandal stampede: High Court rules out sitting judge to head probe
Published · Updated
Latest updates
- : Correction: Calcutta High Court said a sitting judge cannot head the inquiry; a retired judge will lead it. Case moved to the Detective Department
- : A sitting Calcutta High Court judge will head the SIT; the Chief Minister linked an announcement to the stampede; 25 were injured
A retired judge, chosen by the state, will lead the inquiry into the Chorbagan crush that killed 19, not the sitting judge announced on 18 October. Police have moved the case to their Detective Department.
Original report
A sitting judge cannot head the inquiry into the Kolkata pandal stampede, the Calcutta High Court said on 20 October 2026; the state may instead appoint a retired judge to lead a commission of inquiry, UNI and National Herald reported (UNI, 2026; National Herald, 2026). The bench of Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge cited Supreme Court guidelines and a shortage of judges, UNI reported.
The ruling replaces the plan, announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on 18 October, for a sitting High Court judge to head the investigation, which our earlier version reported. The crush at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on 17 October killed 19 people. See how every outlet covered it
What we know
- The inquiry: on a public-interest petition by a local lawyer, the High Court said a sitting judge cannot head it, and the state may appoint a retired judge of its choice to lead a commission. The court will not monitor the probe now but may examine the matter after the final report (UNI, 2026; National Herald, 2026).
- The police case: on 20 October Kolkata Police moved the case from Girish Park police station to its Detective Department at Lalbazar. Additional Commissioner Kunal Agarwal said it was done to ensure further progress, ETV Bharat reported (ETV Bharat, 2026).
- An officer removed: the Girish Park officer-in-charge, Sumit Kumar Ghosh, was removed on Sunday, ETV Bharat reported.
- Arrests: 7 people are under arrest and in police custody until 28 October, set by Bankshal Court on 18 October; police had asked for 14 days, ANI reported (Asianet Newsable, 2026). India TV earlier reported 14 more were detained (India TV, 2026).
- The toll: 19 dead and 25 injured, unchanged, Deccan Chronicle and The Quint reported (Deccan Chronicle, 2026; The Quint, 2026).
- Compensation: on 20 October the Chief Minister handed Rs 25 lakh each to the families of three of the dead, in Purba Bardhaman and Hooghly, ETV Bharat reported.
Correction: no sitting judge will lead the probe
Our 18 October version said a sitting Calcutta High Court judge would head the investigation, as Sunday Guardian and The Quint reported after the Chief Minister's announcement. On 20 October the High Court said a sitting judge cannot head it. The two reports word the order differently: UNI says the court allowed the state to appoint a retired judge, and National Herald says it directed that a retired judge head the panel.
The cause is still the first question the commission faces.
An announcement before the rush
The Chief Minister said a preliminary investigation linked an announcement at the pandal to the stampede, Sunday Guardian reported (Sunday Guardian, 2026). Sunday Guardian says puja organisers made it; no other report we read confirms who spoke.
"Gross mismanagement by puja organisers. There was no clear plan," an unnamed police officer told The Quint. India TV earlier reported police also cited sudden rain, too few security staff and narrow gates.
Section 163 order was due to end on 20 October
The order covering the Bowbazar police station area banned gatherings of five or more people until 20 October, Free Press Journal and Deccan Chronicle reported (Free Press Journal, 2026). We have not seen a report that it was extended.
How the coverage split
UNI led on the court letting the state choose a retired judge. National Herald led on the court rejecting the sitting-judge plan. ETV Bharat led on the case moving to Lalbazar's Detective Department.
It is the second Kolkata public safety story we have covered this week, after Kolkata rainbow flyover paint: the anti-skid standard missing from the row.
What we don't know yet
- The retired judge's name, the commission's terms of reference and its deadline.
- Whether the police investigation continues alongside the commission.
- Who made the announcement, and its exact words.
- Whether the Section 163 order was extended beyond 20 October.
What happens next
Police custody of the seven ends on 28 October, ANI reported. The state has not yet named the retired judge, and no date has been given for the commission's terms.
Questions people are asking
Who will head the Chorbagan stampede probe now?
A retired judge, to be chosen by the state, the Calcutta High Court said on 20 October. The judge has not been named.
Why can't a sitting judge head the Kolkata stampede inquiry?
The Chief Justice cited Supreme Court guidelines and a shortage of judges, UNI reported.
Who is investigating the arrests?
Kolkata Police's Detective Department at Lalbazar took over the case from Girish Park police station on 20 October, ETV Bharat reported.
How many people died in the Kolkata pandal stampede?
19 died and 25 were injured, Deccan Chronicle and The Quint reported.
How much compensation will families get?
Rs 25 lakh per bereaved family from the state; the Chief Minister handed it to three families on 20 October, ETV Bharat reported.
References
- ANI (2026) Kolkata stampede: 7 accused, including puja panel members, in custody. Asianet Newsable Available at: Kolkata stampede: 7 accused in custody (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- Deccan Chronicle (2026) Kolkata Stampede: 18 Victims From Bengal, One From Bihar, Says Suvendu. Deccan Chronicle Available at: Kolkata Stampede: 18 Victims From Bengal, One From Bihar, Says Suvendu (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- ETV Bharat (2026) Kolkata Police Hands Chorbagan Stampede Case To Detective Department, 7 Arrested. ETV Bharat Available at: Kolkata Police hands Chorbagan stampede case to Detective Department (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- Free Press Journal (2026) Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: Section 163 Imposed For 3 Days After 19 Deaths. Free Press Journal Available at: Section 163 Imposed For 3 Days After 19 Deaths (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- India TV (2026) Sudden rain, mismanagement, confusing announcements: Police explain what caused the Kolkata Durga Puja tragedy. India TV Available at: Sudden rain, mismanagement, confusing announcements (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- National Herald (2026) Chorbagan stampede: HC directs probe panel to be headed by retired judge. National Herald Available at: HC directs probe panel to be headed by retired judge (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- Sunday Guardian (2026) Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede: 'Pandal is Very Bad. Please Leave' – 19 Dead After Warning Announcement Sparks Panic. Sunday Guardian Available at: Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede: 'Pandal is Very Bad. Please Leave' (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- The Quint (2026) Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: At Least 13 Women, 1 Child Among 19 Killed. The Quint Available at: Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: At Least 13 Women, 1 Child Among 19 Killed (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
- UNI (2026) Calcutta High Court allows state to appoint retired judge to probe Chorbagan stampede. UNI Available at: Calcutta High Court allows state to appoint retired judge (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
How we did this
For this update we read the 20 October reports from UNI, National Herald and ETV Bharat, and set them against our 18 October version, which drew on Sunday Guardian, Deccan Chronicle and The Quint. We replaced the sitting-judge line, which the High Court's ruling has overtaken, and flag the change as a correction. We have not seen the court's written order; the two reports word it differently. We do not name bereaved families' children.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 16 outlets across the spectrum: 25% left, 25% center, 44% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (4): The Quint, The Hindu, The New Indian Express, NDTV
- Center (3): Free Press Journal, DNA India, Hindustan Times
- Right-leaning (6): Sunday Guardian, India TV English, Deccan Chronicle, Asianet Newsable, ETV Bharat Gujarati, India Today
- Not yet rated (1): National Herald
Sources
- Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede: 'Pandal is Very Bad. Please Leave' - 19 Dead After Warning Announcement Sparks Panic at Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal; Police Examine CCTV to Identify Lapses — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: Section 163 Imposed For 3 Days After 19 Deaths — Free Press Journal (center) ·
- News sudden rain mismanagement confusing announcements police explain what caused the kolkata durga puja tragedy — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- Kolkata Stampede: 18 Victims From Bengal, One From Bihar, Says Suvendu — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: At Least 13 Women, 1 Child Among 19 Killed — The Quint (left-leaning) ·
- Kolkata stampede: 7 accused, including puja panel members, in custody — Asianet Newsable (right-leaning) ·
- Kolkata Police Hands Chorbagan Stampede Case To Detective Department, 7 Arrested — ETV Bharat Gujarati (right-leaning) ·
- Chorbagan stampede: HC directs probe panel to be headed by retired judge — National Herald (not yet rated) ·
- Kolkata deploys 18 IPS officers for Durga Puja immersions after stampede — India Today (right-leaning) ·
- SIT formed to probe stampede that killed 19 in Kolkata's Chorbagan, report due in three months — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- Kolkata Stampede: 6-member SIT formed, 3-month deadline set after 19 deaths in Chorbagan — DNA India (center) ·
- Kolkata stampede: Death in the time of Durga Puja — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- 2 Chor Bagan club members arrested over announcement that led to Kolkata stampede — Hindustan Times (center) ·
- Kolkata stampede: Cops seek voice samples of accused over loudspeaker announcement, move court — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- Chorbagan Durga idol immersed without customary rituals Debi Boron or Sindoor Khela a week after stampede — Hindustan Times (center) ·
- Week After Kolkata Stampede Horror, A Quiet Immersion For Chorbagan Durga Idol — NDTV (left-leaning) ·