Bengaluru stampede: IPS officer challenges suspension order
Bengaluru: Suspended IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash Monday moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), challenging the govt's order suspending him for dereliction of duty.
Vikash is one of the five officers suspended.
The suspension order, citing Rule 3(1)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, alleged that Vikash, along with other officers, failed to take adequate crowd-control and safety measures despite prior knowledge of the celebrations. However, it doesn't specify the exact role, negligence or wilful misconduct attributable to him. The order highlighted the fact there wasn't enough time to prepare for such a huge event, but was silent on how the tragedy could be attributed to Vikash and the other officers.
The applicant stated in his application that he has been made a scapegoat.
Retired officers' plea to CM
Meanwhile, nearly 30 retired IPS officers have written to chief minister Siddaramaiah, urging him to revoke the suspension of senior police personnel over the June 4 stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In their open letter, they stressed that punitive action should follow judicial inquiry, not precede it.
The officers said the RCB management first announced the victory celebrations on social media, drawing lakhs of fans to the stadium within hours of the IPL final. The hasty celebrations were arranged due to travel plans of RCB's foreign and local players, the letter said. They noted that police had warned the organisers in writing about the risks of holding such a large event on short notice. Calling the suspension of police officers unjust, the letter stated they were made scapegoats while the real accountability lay with RCB, KSCA and the organisers.
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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
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
RCB's bitter victory - The cost of celebration
Bengaluru: An aerial view of fans gathering for Royal Challengers Bengaluru�s fan engagement programme after the team won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo) (PTI06_04_2025_000476B) By Vinod Jacob, Urban strategist and general manager, Namma Bengaluru Foundation The finger-pointing began almost as soon as the news broke. On June 4, a devastating stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium shattered what, less than 24 hours earlier, had been a moment of pure jubilation for Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans, celebrating their first IPL trophy win after eighteen agonising seasons. Eleven lives were claimed, and dozens were injured. The irony was palpable: a triumph long yearned for, now overshadowed by loss. Arrests were made. Officials suspended, followed by more resignations, ex gratia promises — and even calls for Virat Kohli's arrest — while the blame game raged on. But this isn't merely about individual culpability. This is about a systemic breakdown — a question of total administrative failure, especially when dealing with an event that touches the very core of India's cricket passion. For a nation where cricket borders on religion, any public gathering of this magnitude demands meticulous foresight. Was M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with its 35,000-seat capacity, ever truly suitable for a city-wide victory parade, particularly one made free after initially being a paid event? The answer, tragically, is no. The entire celebration should have been shifted to a venue, like the Palace Grounds, the BIEC, or a similar venue, offering proper entry/exit points and capacity for millions. The fact that RCB was headed to the finals had been known for a full week. This provided ample time for the responsible authorities to engage in comprehensive planning, coordinate with the police machinery, and anticipate the monumental public turnout. To now deflect blame onto an already overburdened police department, reeling from the previous night's unruly celebrations where citizens went berserk, pulling out barricades, seems not just unfair, but a convenient diversion from deeper administrative shortcomings. And why was there need for two locations? A single, well-planned convergence at one venue could have ensured effective crowd management, robust contingency plans, and, most critically, citizen safety. That safety aspect appears to have been completely disregarded. The stadium's own infrastructure is wanting – narrow, unramped gates with metal obstructions, utterly incapable of handling a rush, even for a normal game, let alone a historic celebration. Bengaluru has hosted large-scale gatherings before; surely lessons could have been learned from major shows that proceeded without incident. Other metros – Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai – have successfully orchestrated similar mass celebrations. Why, then, can Bengaluru, the supposed IT capital, not leverage technology for better crowd management, anticipating flows and ensuring security? A bus parade, like those seen elsewhere, would have been infinitely safer than directing millions to a fixed point of convergence. Unchecked chaos also inflicted damage on Cubbon Park. Trees, plants, and even birds' nests were destroyed due to the event's chaotic spillover — another terrible blow to Bengaluru's strained biodiversity, a particularly painful scar on the so-called 'Garden City'. Fans have every right to celebrate after an 18-year wait; they cannot be blamed for their exuberant outpouring. While citizens do bear some responsibility for failing to adhere to basic crowd control measures like queuing and respecting barricades, the primary culpability lies with the planning. The critical misallocation of manpower at free gates, with too few police for too many unmanned entry points and the added burden of VIP security, tragically sealed the fate for those eleven lives. The euphoria of victory has been drowned out by the cries of anguish. Bengaluru must now reflect, learn, and ensure that no triumph, no matter how sweet, is ever again marred by such preventable sorrow. The blame isn't diffused; it lies squarely with a system unprepared to manage its grand moments. What systemic changes will we truly implement to prevent history from tragically repeating itself ?
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: IPS officer challenges suspension order
Bengaluru: Suspended IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash Monday moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), challenging the govt's order suspending him for dereliction of duty. Vikash is one of the five officers suspended. The suspension order, citing Rule 3(1)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, alleged that Vikash, along with other officers, failed to take adequate crowd-control and safety measures despite prior knowledge of the celebrations. However, it doesn't specify the exact role, negligence or wilful misconduct attributable to him. The order highlighted the fact there wasn't enough time to prepare for such a huge event, but was silent on how the tragedy could be attributed to Vikash and the other officers. The applicant stated in his application that he has been made a scapegoat. Retired officers' plea to CM Meanwhile, nearly 30 retired IPS officers have written to chief minister Siddaramaiah, urging him to revoke the suspension of senior police personnel over the June 4 stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In their open letter, they stressed that punitive action should follow judicial inquiry, not precede it. The officers said the RCB management first announced the victory celebrations on social media, drawing lakhs of fans to the stadium within hours of the IPL final. The hasty celebrations were arranged due to travel plans of RCB's foreign and local players, the letter said. They noted that police had warned the organisers in writing about the risks of holding such a large event on short notice. Calling the suspension of police officers unjust, the letter stated they were made scapegoats while the real accountability lay with RCB, KSCA and the organisers.
