CM suspends City Police Commissioner; CID to probe Bengaluru stampede

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced the suspension of five senior police officers, including Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda and Central Division DCP H T Shekar, in connection with the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which claimed at least 11 lives.

The announcement was made during an emergency press conference held at Vidhana Soudha. The CM also confirmed that the case has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation.

A one-judge commission, headed by retired High Court Justice John Michael D’Cunha, has been constituted to probe the incident.

“It has been decided to suspend the Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish A K, ACP Balakrishna, DCP H T Shekar, the Additional Commissioner in charge of stadium security, and Police Commissioner B Dayananda,” Siddaramaiah said. He added that the decision was taken after discussions with the Deputy CM, Home Minister, and other cabinet members.

“Prima facie evidence shows clear negligence and irresponsibility by the officers concerned,” the CM said.

The stampede occurred during the RCB’s IPL victory celebration. CM Siddaramaiah expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the families of the deceased, calling it one of the worst incidents during his tenure in public service.

Legal action has also been initiated against the RCB franchise, DNA Event Management Company, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). An FIR has been filed, and instructions have been given to arrest the representatives of these organisations.

The CM added that a magisterial inquiry ordered earlier has already begun, and the CID will investigate the roles of RCB, KSCA, and DNA Events.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of the tragedy and registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). A division bench led by Acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao sought a report from the state government, questioning whether Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were followed during the event.

The Cubbon Park police have registered 11 Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) so far. No FIRs were registered until now, the report stated.
(With IANS inputs)