Kolkata Puja pandal stampede: Calcutta HC directs Bengal govt to form judicial probe panel led by retired judge

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to form a judicial probe commission with a retired justice of the high court of the state government's own choice leading it to probe the tragedy of the stampede at the pandal of Chorbagan Sarbojanin community Durga Puja committee on the night of October 17 killing a total of 19 people.

Earlier, the West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal had sent a settler to the Office of Chief Justice Ghuge requesting the latter to nominate any sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court to probe the matter.

However, the office of Chief Justice Ghuge had communicated to the state government that as per a previous order of the Supreme Court, it was not possible to appoint a serving judge to any commission and therefore the state will have to select a retired judge of its own choice to lead the judicial probe commission in the matter.

On Tuesday, only while meeting the family members of some of those deceased in the tragedy and handing them over the compensation cheques, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said that all attempts will be made so that the judicial probe commission would complete the investigation in the matter on a war footing and present its report.

Chief Minister Adhikari will also meet the family members of the other deceased persons in the tragedy that he could not meet on Wednesday.

The decision to probe the matter by a judicial probe commission to investigate the matter was announced by the Chief Minister immediately after the mishap on October 17 night.

The Chief Minister also said that in order to maintain impartiality in the investigation, representatives from the Kolkata Police, state fire services department and Kolkata Municipal Corporation will not be included in the judicial probe committee.

He also assured that no one will be spared if found guilty of negligence in the matter, be the organisers of the said puja committee or the police personnel.

He also announced financial compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family members of each of the deceased persons and a job in Group-D post.

The West Bengal government will also bear the medical expenses of the injured and provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh.

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