9 IPS Officers With Crowd Control Experience Deployed After Kolkata Stampede

The West Bengal government on Sunday decided to deploy nine IPS officers experienced in Durga Puja crowd management to handle the festive rush in Kolkata, a day after a pandal stampede killed 19 people, an official said.

Amid concerns over crowd management, police deployment and allegations of negligence against puja organisers following the tragedy, Kolkata Police issued an 11-point advisory for its personnel to prevent untoward incidents at major Durga Puja pandals.

A top official said that to spruce up crowd management, nine IPS officers -- Sumanjit Ray, IG (Border), Mehmud Akhtar, IG (IB), Miraj Khalid, IG (Traffic), Rupesh Kumar, DIG (STF), Shubhankar Bhattacharya, DIG (Traffic), Tarun Haldar, DIG (CID), Soumya Ray, SS (EB), Priyabrata Ray, SP (Traffic) and Deepak Sarkar, SS (CID) -- have been assigned crowd-management duties during the festival.

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"These officers have experience in handling huge crowds during Durga Puja in Kolkata. They have been brought back to help ensure proper crowd management and prevent a repeat of the Chorbagan incident," a senior official said.

About the Kolkata Police's 11-point advisory, another officer said entry points to pandals must be closed when it rains, and people inside must be brought out safely.

No crowd will be allowed inside pandals during such situations. Police have also been directed to ensure adequate lighting at the venues, he said.

"The advisory states that police personnel must not leave their assigned posts even during rain. Movement of visitors into pandals must be regulated according to the situation.

"Vehicles carrying VIPs will not be allowed up to the pandals and must be parked at a designated distance," the officer elaborated.

Police personnel have also been directed to monitor announcements made by puja organisers and ensure that visitor routes are not changed abruptly. Every officer and constable must coordinate with a team of five to six volunteers of each puja committee.

In the advisory, Kolkata Police instructed its personnel on duty to keep adequate ropes, guardrails and small loudspeakers ready to manage crowds and respond to emergencies. 

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