Bengaluru stampede: IPS body demand revocation of suspension of 5 cops
The Indian Police Foundation and a collective of retired senior IPS officers from across the country have come out strongly in support of former Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, who was suspended along with four other officers in the wake of the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead.
In two separate but coordinated open letters, that became public on Monday, addressed to chief minister Siddaramaiah, the signatories — comprising former DGPs, CBI chiefs, NSG heads, and senior bureaucrats — have questioned the rationale behind suspending top police officials before the completion of a judicial inquiry. The letters argued that the responsibility for the June 4 incident lies more with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) management and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), who allegedly insisted on immediate post-victory celebrations despite police warnings.
'It transpires from public statements and available information that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru... wanted a grand celebration of RCB's victory after 18 years in the IPL,' reads the first letter, issued by the Indian Police Foundation on June 8. It cites the police's prior objections to hosting the event just hours after the team's return from Ahmedabad, saying, 'The police officials had conveyed in writing and otherwise about the danger of acceding to the request.'
The foundation condemned what it called 'haste' in organising the parade without sufficient crowd control measures. It pointed out that the police, from station-level officers to the Commissioner himself, had flagged serious concerns about preparing for the large turnout expected.
A separate letter dated June 3 from the same foundation stressed that suspending officers without waiting for judicial findings would be seen as scapegoating. 'To isolate the police for punitive action, while other stakeholders escape scrutiny, distorts the reality of shared responsibility,' the letter stated, adding that it 'undermines institutional integrity' and could demoralise the police force.
The retired officers further criticised what they called the government's tacit support of the event, noting that 'no written directions were given to the police overruling their objections'. They blamed the organisers for going ahead with the parade, offering free passes and encouraging fans to flood the venue despite capacity limitations.
In a sharply worded observation, the letter said, 'There is a general impression that the police officers have been victimized while those, whose haste, over-enthusiasm, and reluctance to take a stand, contributed to the tragedy, have managed to get away.'
The foundation has called for the reinstatement of all five suspended officers, including Dayananda, pending the outcome of the judicial inquiry, which is expected to conclude within a month. 'Disciplinary action, if warranted, should follow from the findings, and not precede them,' the letters stated.
To assist the state government in learning from the incident, the foundation has offered to conduct an independent post-incident review, not aimed at fault-finding but at identifying systemic gaps and improving public safety protocols.
The letters have been signed by over 30 decorated former IPS officers and experts, including Prakash Singh (former DGP UP and Assam), RS Mooshahary (former Governor of Meghalaya), and Ajit Doval's former colleagues in central agencies, giving the appeal added weight.
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