Suspending police officers for Karnataka stampede looks like scapegoating: Think tank
New Delhi, The suspension of five police officers before the completion of a detailed investigation into the RCB victory celebrations-linked stampede in Karnataka would be seen as "scapegoating" and may have a "demoralising" effect on the entire force, an independent think tank on policing has told the state chief minister.
The Delhi-based Indian Police Foundation has also said "isolating" the police force for "punitive" action, while other stakeholders escape scrutiny, distorts the reality of shared responsibility and "misses" the opportunity to draw "comprehensive" lessons for the future.
The June 4 stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru led to the death of 11 people, while 56 were injured, as a large number of people thronged to participate in the Royal Challenger Bengaluru team's IPL victory celebrations.
The Karnataka government has suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior police officials on the charge of dereliction of duty.
The state government has also appointed a one-man inquiry commission under retired Karnataka High Court judge John Michael Cunha to probe the incident.
The IPF, a private think tank on policing subjects with a number of retired police chiefs and civil servants on its panel, wrote a two-page letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday.
The letter, accessed by PTI, said the suspension of the five police officials has raised "serious concerns" within the professional policing community across the country.
"Actions taken without establishing individual responsibility would be seen as scapegoating rather than principled accountability and may have a demoralising effect on the entire police force, while undermining institutional integrity," the IPF said.
Large public events of this nature, it said, especially when held at such a short notice and without adequate time for preparatory work, require "coordinated" efforts among multiple civic, administrative and political agencies.
The think tank urged the Karnataka government to "reinstate" the suspended officers and said disciplinary action, if warranted, should follow from the findings and not precede those.
The IPF also offered the services of its multi-disciplinary expert members for conducting a post-incident review and analysis of the stampede.
"This would be a non-adversarial, independent exercise, not intended for fault-finding, but focused on identifying systemic gaps, good practices and actionable lessons to guide police operations and training," it said.
The foundation offered condolences to the bereaved families and said it fully supports a fair, impartial and transparent inquiry into the tragedy.
Former Union home secretary G K Pillai, former Meghalaya governor and retired IPS officer R S Mooshahary, former HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, former Uttar Pradesh DGP O P Singh and former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla are among the IPF members.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
When triumph turned into tragedy
On June 3, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) claimed its maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. When Virat Kohli announced that night that celebrations would extend to Bengaluru the next day, the atmosphere turned electric. Fans in Bengaluru celebrated with gusto the entire night, with firecrackers and full-throated chants and slogans. The wait for the title for 18 long years led to a burst of emotions and joy. What added to this excitement and the hurry to celebrate immediately was the imminent departure of Kohli the next day to London. Unheeded advice What was missing in this tremendous build-up to the victory parade was a calm and rational response from the administrative arm of the government. Amid the frenzy, according to reports, the Police Commissioner, B. Dayananda, rightly advised restraint and suggested that the celebrations be held a few days later. But the government allegedly did not listen to his advice. There there is no clarity yet on why this was the case. It is well known that any State government would like to cash in on such an event for political gains. This government was clearly no different. A Police Commissioner can directly talk to top hierarchy of the government. He should have got a clear 'yes' or 'no' from the Chief Minister. If the Chief Minister wanted to go ahead with the function, the police would have had no choice but to make the arrangements. What actually seems to have happened is that no one took a clear decision. Thus the celebrations in the crowded metropolis were ill-conceived and the messaging unclear, which became a recipe for disaster. It was clear that the State government made the event look like a State function. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar went to the airport to receive the champions. The government invited the team to Vidhana Soudha, the seat of State Legislature and Secretariat. There, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and and Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot congratulated the team. Another function was held for fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and Mr. Shivakumar was present at that event. The function at Vidhana Soudha gave the public adequate time to throng the stadium. More than 2 lakh people reportedly congregated at the gates, leading to the stampede that claimed 11 lives. The police were clearly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and the lack of medical and other facilities. According to reports, the passes or tickets that were to be given to fans to go inside the stadium were to be given near the gates. Communication completely collapsed. It was claimed that news of the stampede did not reach the venue of the function. The celebrations inside the stadium happened even after tragedy unfolded outside. Where were the officials? It was surprising that Mr. Dayananda was finally suspended. After all, he was the one who had apparently warned the government against holding the function at such short notice. After being out on the streets the entire night of June 3-4, the police force was hardly in a position to make arrangements for a massive victory parade of the RCB team. It is also surprising that the Chief Minister did not have the correct picture of the potential consequences of holding such massive celebrations the next day. The Intelligence chief is mandated to give such information and assessment beforehand. In this case, a massive crowd at the stadium was expected. What were the Home Secretary and Chief Secretary doing? They too must have been aware of the impending law-and-order situation surely? And what about the head of the force — the Director General of Police? Should he not have taken a stand? So, is the Police Commissioner the fall guy? Support has been pouring in for him on social media for advising the government correctly. Not one Minister has been able to give a justifiable, logical argument as to why this happened or how it was allowed to happen. We also need to ask why the government chose to be associated with this programme. This is not the Karnataka Ranji Team. It is a cricket league run by a private franchise. During the IPL, a couple of cricket teams owned by rich people select players through an auction. Money pours in from advertisers and sponsors because the public loves to see sixes flying all over the stadium. Yet the cricket mania seems to have gripped politicians too. By holding a State function and having politicians meet the players elevated this championship victory to a much higher status. The RCB management and the Karnataka State Cricket Association clearly took advantage of the government's indecision and went ahead with their plans to glorify themselves and market their achievements. The police have said that they did not grant permission for a victory parade, but the RCB management took to social media on the morning of June 4 and announced a victory parade nevertheless. The State government ignored the advice of the key official and joined in the premature celebrations. Worse, instead of owning up to it and asking one of its own to resign, it suspended the Police Commissioner, holding him solely responsible for the tragedy. As usual, the government has constituted a one-man judicial commission to probe the tragedy. As the commission goes about its work, the real issues — the unforgivable lapses in administration — will remain obfuscated and slowly get buried in the sands of time. Yashovardhan Azad, IPS officer (retd.), is former Central Information Commissioner; former Special Director, Intelligence Bureau; and former Secretary, Security, Government of India
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Meghalaya honeymoon horror: Accused wife produced in Ghazipur court for transit remand
Earlier in the day, Meghalaya DGP I Nongrang said Raja Raghuvanshi, an Indore-based transport businessman whose body was found a week back in Meghalaya, was allegedly killed by men hired by his wife Sonam.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Man Succumbs to Injuries Day After Hit-and-Run at Chinchbhuvan
Nagpur: A 29-year-old man from Gittikhadan, Yogesh Bopase, died on Sunday morning, a day after getting seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident near Chinchbhuvan. The accident occurred around 4am on Saturday, when Bopase and a friend were returning from AIIMS hospital after delivering food to a relative admitted there. Police sources said they had left AIIMS at around 3am and were riding back home on a two-wheeler when a speeding car rammed into them from behind near the Chinchbhuvan junction. Bopase, who was wearing a small helmet at the time, sustained severe injuries in the impact and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries a day later. The luxury car involved in the crash is reportedly registered to a Mumbai-based owner. Preliminary investigations suggest that the vehicle was handed over to a third party for sale and may have been with a prospective buyer at the time of the incident. Police are still verifying the identity of the person who was driving the car during the accident. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene without offering help to the injured, prompting the police to register a case of hit-and-run. Officials are scanning CCTV footage from nearby locations and tracing the vehicle's movements to identify the driver. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "We are in touch with the registered owner of the car, and we are working to confirm who was driving the car at the time of the accident. We have also spoken to the friend who was riding pillion and other eyewitnesses, including nearby labourers," said a police officer involved in the investigation. The Chinchbhuvan stretch has been flagged repeatedly by residents and traffic authorities as accident-prone due to inadequate lighting and poor enforcement of speed limits.
