Brief
West Bengal CM gives Rs 25 lakh to family of Chorbagan stampede victim
Adhikari also announced a government job for each deceased family and Rs 5 lakh for each injured person.
By Felo News Desk · Published
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Howrah on Saturday to meet the family of Bikas Bhattacharya, one of the 19 people who died in the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede on October 17, 2026. The visit, reported by News18, included the hand‑over of a cheque worth Rs 25 lakh to Bhattacharya’s relatives.
Adhikari told the grieving family that the state could not replace the loss of life but that the financial assistance was intended to support them in their "hour of grief." He also announced that each deceased victim’s family would receive a government job and that each injured person would be given Rs 5 lakh.
The stampede, which occurred at a popular Durga Puja venue in Kolkata’s Chorbagan neighbourhood, left 19 dead and several injured. In response, the West Bengal government, in consultation with the Calcutta High Court, set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on October 21. The SIT, chaired by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, includes senior officials from the Disaster Management & Civil Defence Department, the Special Task Force, the Home and Hill Affairs Department and the National Disaster Response Force. The team is mandated to submit its findings within three months of the order.
According to the official notification cited by News18, the SIT will conduct a comprehensive review of the incident and recommend measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Key facts
- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari handed a Rs 25 lakh cheque to the family of victim Bikas Bhattacharya. (news18.com)
- The Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede on October 17, 2026, killed 19 people. (news18.com)
- A Special Investigation Team chaired by Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati was formed on October 21 to probe the stampede. (news18.com)
Timeline
- 2026-10-17 — Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede kills 19 people.
- 2026-10-21 — West Bengal government forms Special Investigation Team to probe the stampede.
- 2026-10-25 — CM Suvendu Adhikari meets victim's family and hands over Rs 25 lakh cheque.
Sources
- [1] news18.com — originally reported as “West Bengal: CM Adhikari meets Chorbagan's victim family in Howrah”
