At 7:40 p.m. Saturday, a bamboo‑constructed Durga Puja pandal in Chorbagan collapsed, sending 19 people into the rain‑slick streets.
Police filed a culpable homicide case after witnesses reported heavy rain turning a crowd into a crush; the organizers, including Raj Kumar and Santanu Dubey, were blamed for mismanagement.
The court heard defense counsel argue that Pintu Dey and Koushik Saha were rescuers, not orchestrators, and that Raj Kumar had merely attended the puja without any role in the disaster.
Investigators are now sifting through CCTV footage that shows a frantic announcer urging people to leave as the structure threatened to collapse, while security footage reveals that only a handful of guards stood guard against a crowd of thousands.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a Rs 25 lakh compensation package for the families of the dead and Rs 5 lakh for each injured, and called for a fact‑finding committee headed by a sitting High Court judge.
Local resident Shyama Devi, whose brother was among the 19 killed, said the news felt like a second funeral, and she fears the same chaos will repeat if safety protocols remain lax.
The next chapter will see Girish Park police interrogate the accused, while the High Court panel will compile its findings for the state to act upon.