VIP corridor, Rs 399 passes at puja pandal under scanner after killer stampede

A VIP corridor that restricted space for ordinary visitors, narrow pathways and a system of paid entry have emerged as key areas of concern in the investigation into the deadly stampede at Kolkata’s Chor Bagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja, which claimed at least 19 lives.The tragedy, which turned festive celebrations into mourning, has raised questions over crowd management, the commercialisation of pandal entry and administrative lapses. Initial police findings point to serious rule violations by the organisers, while eyewitness accounts have highlighted the difficulties faced by visitors navigating congested pathways, particularly amid sudden heavy rainfall.Investigators are examining how the arrangements inside and around the pandal contributed to the deadly surge, including whether the space allocated for a VIP corridor left insufficient room for the general public.VIP CORRIDOR AND CROWD MANAGEMENT UNDER SCRUTINYThe allocation of a separate VIP corridor has become a key focus after the stampede. Initial police findings indicate that the arrangement significantly restricted space for ordinary visitors in an already congested area. Eyewitness accounts have also pointed to extremely narrow pathways, sudden heavy rainfall and an alleged lack of police personnel or volunteers to regulate the movement of people. According to these accounts, incoming and outgoing crowds collided, creating dangerous congestion as people struggled to move through the restricted space.The official version cited by the government also points to an unauthorised announcement over the pandal's sound system claiming that the structure had collapsed. The announcement allegedly triggered panic, prompting visitors to rush towards exit routes and contributing to the stampede. Investigators are working to establish the precise sequence of events and determine how the crowd surge developed. The role of the organisers, the arrangements for entry and exit, and the adequacy of crowd-control measures are among the issues under scrutiny.RS 399 PASSES AND COMMERCIALISATION OF PANDAL ENTRYThe investigation has also brought the commercialisation of entry into the crowded pandal under scrutiny. Organisers allegedly sold digital passes for Rs 399 through e-commerce platforms, allowing visitors to obtain preferential entry and bypass long queues.Investigators are also probing suspicions that VIP passes issued by the organisers were resold illegally for cash. The suspected resale of passes on the black market has added another dimension to the enquiry into how access to the pandal was managed and who authorised the arrangements.The investigators are now looking at the extent of the paid-entry system, how the passes were distributed and whether the arrangements contributed to overcrowding or obstructed the movement of visitors.The presence of a separate VIP corridor, alongside preferential entry for pass holders, has intensified questions over whether the arrangements left adequate space for the general public.LESSONS NEED TO BE LEARNT, SAYS SAJAL GHOSHAmid all this, Sajal Ghosh, BJP MLA from Baranagar and the chief organiser of the major Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja, said all the organisers need to learn from the tragedy. However, nothing can guarantee that no such incident will happen in the near future."Lessons should be learned, but lessons were also learned after Indira Gandhi's assassination, yet Rajiv Gandhi was still assassinated. Even bulletproof jackets have limitations. Nothing is foolproof," Ghosh said, while speaking to India Today.KUNAL GHOSH QUESTIONS ACCOUNTABILITYThe tragedy has also triggered a political confrontation over accountability and the police investigation, with the opposition blazing its guns against the Suvendu Adhikari-led administration.TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh questioned why ground-level volunteers and stewards were arrested within hours of the incident while senior figures who authorised the committee's governance and operational arrangements had not faced similar action.SUVENDU ADHIKARI CALLS FOR END TO VIP PASSESFollowing the tragedy, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari urged Durga Puja committees to discontinue VIP-pass entry at pandals.The appeal has brought the practice of preferential access at major festive venues into focus, particularly where large crowds and limited space make the regulation of visitor movement critical.SEVEN ORGANISERS ARRESTED, SENIOR IPS OFFICERS DEPLOYEDPolice have registered an FIR and arrested seven organisers in connection with the stampede. The investigation will examine the organisers' role in planning and implementing the arrangements, along with possible violations of safety and crowd-management requirements.In a move to strengthen crowd management and restore public confidence, nine experienced IPS officers have been brought in. They include Muralidhar Sharma, Rupesh Kumar and Miraj Khalid, all of whom have experience in policing and crowd-control operations.- Ends