‘Please don't cut his body': Heartbreaking plea from father of Bengaluru stampede victim
A day after 11 people died in a stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a grieving father appealed to officials to hand over his son's body without conducting a postmortem. 'Please don't cut his body. At least return him to me,' he told the media at Bowring Hospital, as reported by NDTV.
His 18-year-old son had attended the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebration when a crowd surge outside the stadium led to the tragedy. Several others, including a 14-year-old girl, also died, and over 40 people were injured.
The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening after more than three lakh people gathered for the public event, which offered free entry. The stadium, which seats around 35,000, was unable to handle the unexpected turnout. Narrow access points became choke zones as people tried to force their way in.
(Also Read: Bengaluru stampede sparks 'Kumbh vs Chinnaswamy' debate over crowd chaos: 'No resignations, no accountability'
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, with a report expected in 15 days. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar apologised and said the government did not anticipate such a large crowd. He added that police had advised against certain processions earlier in the day and crowd control efforts were in place, but were overwhelmed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The Karnataka government has announced ₹10 lakh compensation for each of the deceased and promised free treatment for the injured.
The Karnataka government will draft a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for large public events, meetings, and celebrations to improve safety and prevent future incidents, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.
The decision follows the stampede near Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people during an RCB IPL victory celebration.
(Also Read: FIR filed against unnamed people in Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium stampede case)
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Deccan Herald
39 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Collective failure, selective action
On June 5, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the suspension of several police officers – from the City Police Commissioner down to the Inspector at the Cubbon Park station – in connection with the stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium which led to 11 deaths on Wednesday. This move may appear decisive, coming after public outrage and calls for deterrent action, but it is hasty and unjust. The suspensions were announced before a preliminary inquiry was conducted and without establishing prima facie a case of government's action is deeply unfair considering that the chaos around the celebratory events, organised in the heart of the city, was triggered elsewhere. It was the management of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) that made the original announcement of a victory parade and an event at the stadium – the State Government endorsed it. There was little room for the police to operate. The action is on the grounds of dereliction of duty, also citing the Commissioner's failure to refuse permission 'in writing'. But a technicality should not have been the basis of action announced within a day after the incident..A tragedy of bad judgement and broken government has also initiated action against the franchise management and the event organisers. However, punishing the officers without examining the decision-making chain – especially when professional advice was ignored – is both unjust and loss of 11 lives and injuries to more than 50 people had already left a bitter aftertaste on RCB's long-awaited title victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This was not only about a surging crowd of fans – this was primarily about serious administrative negligence. The decision to suspend the police officers without due process compounds this tragedy. Those very officers who worked to ensure the smooth conduct of the tournament are now being vilified for a failure that was not theirs. The suspensions also need to be viewed along with reports that senior police officials had suggested holding the event on Sunday, June 8, to allow adequate time for events of this magnitude requires detailed planning, beginning with a comprehensive security scheme: crowd estimates, personnel deployment, patrolling points, traffic management, emergency protocols, and crime prevention. Police teams need to be mobilised from across the city, or even the state. This requires travel time, extensive coordination, and clear process was not possible here. The city police were already fatigued, having managed the all-night fan revelry after the IPL final on June 3. The celebrations and the resultant traffic chaos had kept them on their feet till dawn. The next morning, they were called into action again, this time with no police personnel also had to operate in a high-security zone around the Vidhana Soudha. Managing simultaneous events at the Vidhana Soudha and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) premises demanded significant deployment and security protocols. Unfortunately, the police are already working with a skeletal force. The vacancies mean that they often struggle to meet day-to-day demands, let alone a crisis. Augmentation of force strength happens sporadically, and resources are always stretched thin..A problem of political establishment seemed eager to share the champion side's limelight. It was evident in the crowd present at the Vidhana Soudha. Considering that RCB is a privately owned entity with little organic connection to Karnataka, organising an event of this scale at the state's seat of governance was a case of serious is one of the most followed franchises in the league, with a strong fanbase that has stayed with the side through an 18-year-long wait for the first title. The team has emerged as a popular brand built on advertisements, celebrity campaigns, and marketing drives. Thousands of fans congregated at both the Vidhana Soudha and KSCA. For many, a glimpse of the team was enough. The 2-km stretch between the two locations was packed with a teeming, unregulated crowd. When you add free access, it's not hard to see why the stadium was suspension of the officers is a knee-jerk reaction that may shield the state government from scrutiny temporarily, but it also sends a dangerous message to the police force: even when you advise correctly and act within your limitations, you may still be blamed. This is sure to demoralise the police leadership and affect the morale of the entire force..(The writer is a former Director General and Inspector General of Police, Karnataka)
Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Top cop's suspension over Bengaluru stampede draws flak from ex-officers, opposition
The Karnataka government's decision to suspend Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda following the June 4 stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has drawn sharp criticism from former police officers and opposition leaders, who described the move as hasty, unjust, and politically motivated. Dayananda, who held the city's top police post until June 5, was suspended on Thursday by the state home department for alleged lapses in managing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. The stampede, which took place as crowds surged outside the stadium to attend the felicitation event organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), left 11 people dead and over 50 injured. According to the official suspension order, RCB's CEO formally notified the commissioner's office on June 3 about the parade scheduled for the following day. The government said Dayananda failed to respond in writing, nor did he take adequate steps to manage the expected turnout, despite having prior knowledge. ALSO READ | Lessons and questions from Bengaluru stampede tragedy that took 11 young lives But several former senior police officers have rallied in support of Dayananda, calling the action unjustified and politically expedient. 'It's an unfortunate incident of suspending a commissioner without preliminary inquiry and fact finding. Police were only a small part of this event. Suspension of the commissioner is not the right way to do it,' said former Bengaluru commissioner Megharikh. 'Why did they not do it in the beginning? Bigger stakeholders are there. We are upset as IPS and commissioners fraternity. Mistakes are bound to happen but reactions can't follow this way,' he added. Retired IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, another former commissioner, went further in his condemnation, accusing the state's leadership of using the police as scapegoat to deflect public anger. 'The suspension of Bengaluru City police commissioner is the darkest day in the history of Karnataka Police,' Rao wrote. 'Everyone in Karnataka knows that it is the uncontrollable deputy chief minister who orchestrated the death march and is the main culprit,' he said. Taking a dig at the government, he added: 'No chief minister has become as helpless, cowardly, nervous and panicky. The government has blood on its hands and now has lost its mind too. The government is now in disaster.' Similar concerns were echoed by former commissioner Jyothiprakash Mirji, who called the decision 'harsh' and questioned the selective action against police officers. 'I would like to say that this is an irresponsible government. The government should work with officials by taking them into confidence. The government should be ashamed. The chief secretary, home secretary and other secretaries are also responsible — why haven't they been suspended?' he said. ALSO READ | Complaint against Virat Kohli over stampede during RCB's celebration in Bengaluru Public support for Dayananda has grown online, with numerous social media users praising his professionalism, discipline, and clean record. An online petition calling for the revocation of the suspension has also gained traction. The opposition, too, has weighed in heavily. The BJP accused the Congress-led government of punishing officers to shield political mismanagement. 'For the first time in the history of Karnataka, cold-blooded murderers are punishing top police officers,' the party's state unit wrote on X. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka also questioned the motives behind the suspensions, citing an internal power struggle in the ruling party. 'DCM DK Shivakumar said that the police had warned of the danger in advance and that the police were not responsible. Now the CM Siddaramaiah has suddenly suspended several senior police officers, including the Bangalore Police Commissioner,' Ashoka wrote on X. 'Is the ongoing cold war and covert fistfight between CM Siddaramaiah and DCM D.K. Shivakumar the cause of this tragedy?' he added. ALSO READ | Top RCB official, 3 others held in Bengaluru stampede case sent to judicial custody Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party president BY Vijayendra told ANI that the police officers who have been suspended have been made scapegoats for the incident. 'Officers have been made scapegoats in the entire episode. The FIR that was registered yesterday clearly states that when permission was sought by RCB, KSCA, as well as DNA, it was rejected by the police department. Since the CM insisted on giving permission, permission was only given then. It was ultimately a failure on the part of the intelligence department, they could not assess that such a large number of people would gather. They could not assess the situation,' Vijayendra said. Union minister and senior Janata Dal (United) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Friday slammed the Karnataka government for the 'blunder' of suspending senior police officers following the stampede in Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium, claiming that while the police had warned about any possible mishaps beforehand but the state government went against the advise to use the IPL trophy for their image. He claimed that after the incident occurred, the government blamed the police for its 'failure,' but a failure of the police also means a failure of the state government. 'Yesterday's decision taken by this government about the suspension of five senior police officers is another blunder made by this government. The entire fault lies with the government. To build their image by misusing this IPL trophy, both CM and DCM have taken their own decision, going against the advice of the police. After this incident occurred, the government blamed the police for this failure. Failure of the police also means the failure of the government only,' Kumaraswamy told reporters in New Delhi. Meanwhile, a head constable in Bengaluru staged a solo protest against the suspension of the city's police commissioner. Wearing his uniform and a black band, he marched from Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan, holding a photograph of Dr BR Ambedkar.
New Indian Express
5 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Activist lodges police complaint against Virat Kohli over stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium
BENGALURU: A complaint has been filed against cricketer Virat Kohli at the Cubbon Park Police Station in connection with the June 4 stampede near Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured. The complainant, social activist HM Venkatesh, accused Kohli of promoting what he described as "gambling through IPL," alleging it incited the massive crowd that led to the tragedy. Police said the complaint will be considered under the already registered case and examined as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident. In his complaint, social activist HM Venkatesh alleged that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is "not a sport but a gambling that has contaminated the game of cricket." "Virat Kohli of the Bangalore RCB team is the most prominent among those who participated in such gambling and incited people to gather in a specific place and caused this tragedy. Therefore, we request you to please make Virat Kohli and his team members accused in the FIR of this tragedy and take action," Venkatesh stated in his complaint. Meanwhile, a Bengaluru Sessions Court on Friday remanded four individuals, including senior Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) official Nikhil Sosale and three event managers, to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede. They were arrested in a joint operation by the Cubbon Park police and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) at Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of June 6 (Friday).
