A cultural evening featuring popular Bengali film star Jeet turned into a scene of widespread vandalism and chaos at a fair in Bankura district on Saturday night. The incident, which occurred at the Jadu Bhatta ground in Bishnupur, saw an uncontrollable crowd go on a rampage, destroying property and forcing police to resort to a lathi-charge to restore order.
Performance Descends into Pandemonium
The trouble began around 8 pm on Saturday as Jeet and his fellow artists took to the stage for their scheduled performance. The event, part of a local fair, had attracted a massive turnout from across the district, far exceeding the venue's capacity. Organisers were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of spectators.
What started as pushing and jostling soon escalated into full-blown violence. Sections of the crowd broke through barricades set up near the stage. The situation spiraled out of control, with hundreds of chairs being smashed to pieces. Notably, chairs reserved for senior citizens and women were also destroyed in the frenzy.
Widespread Vandalism and Police Action
The violence was not confined to the auditorium area. Several shops set up near the venue were vandalised, with allegations emerging that cash was looted from some of them. In a significant act of defacement, banners and flex boards were torn down. This included a large flex featuring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Faced with a mob that had turned destructive, the police on duty had to use force to disperse the crowd. They conducted a lathi-charge, which allegedly resulted in injuries to several spectators. Law enforcement officials detained a few individuals on the spot, but they were later released after signing personal bonds.
Organiser Cites Stampede-Like Situation
Bapi Banerjee, one of the event organisers, provided insight into the trigger for the chaos. He stated that the venue was utterly inadequate for the size of the crowd, which kept swelling as the event progressed. "At one point, when Jeet was performing on stage, there was a surge at the back to move ahead for a closer look. This led to a stampede-like situation and then the crowd went on a rampage, ransacking the auditorium," Banerjee explained.
Despite the severe disruption and damage, the show did go on. Demonstrating professionalism, Jeet and his team completed their performance before safely leaving the stage. The incident has raised serious questions about crowd management and security protocols at large public gatherings in the region, especially those featuring high-profile celebrities.
