Karnataka Police Had Issued Pre-Event Warning Before Fatal Bengaluru Stampede

Hans India

5 hours ago

New revelations show that senior police officials had explicitly warned the Karnataka government about potential security lapses and overcrowding risks before the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory celebration that resulted in a tragic stampede claiming 11 lives on June 4.
An official letter written on the morning of the incident by Deputy Commissioner of Police MN Karibasavana Gowda has exposed that authorities were forewarned about the dangers of hosting the felicitation event at Vidhana Soudha. The communication, sent to top government officials, outlined specific concerns about crowd management and inadequate security arrangements.
Gowda, who oversaw legislature security, addressed his warning to G Sathyavathi, Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms. His letter explicitly stated that "lakhs of cricket fans are likely to come to Vidhana Soudha" and emphasized that insufficient security personnel would create significant challenges for crowd control and safety management.
The police official's correspondence highlighted critical infrastructure deficiencies, particularly noting the absence of proper CCTV surveillance coverage in the sensitive government zone. He stressed that the combination of massive expected attendance and security shortfalls would create a potentially dangerous situation during the RCB celebration event.
Despite these advance warnings, the event received official approval from authorities. The letter was reportedly shared with then-Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, who further escalated the concerns to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. However, the celebration proceeded as planned, ultimately resulting in the deadly crowd surge.
Hours before the tragic incident occurred, senior IAS officer G Sathyavathi, who was responsible for managing the Vidhana Soudha event, publicly urged fans to relocate to the nearby stadium instead. The RCB team was initially honored at the legislature building before celebrations continued at the stadium, but the crowd management issues had already reached critical levels.
The aftermath of the stampede led to immediate administrative action, with B Dayananda being suspended by Karnataka's home department just one day after the incident. Officials cited serious planning and coordination failures during the RCB victory celebrations as the reason for his removal from the position.
The tragedy has sparked intense political controversy, with the Bharatiya Janata Party launching sharp criticism against the Congress-led state government. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy condemned what he termed "complete failure in crowd management," arguing that authorities should have anticipated the massive turnout following RCB's historic IPL victory.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy directly blamed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for the incident, characterizing it as the result of "impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility." He questioned whether such a hastily organized felicitation ceremony was necessary given the obvious risks involved.
Union Minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje criticized the decision to use Vidhana Soudha's grand staircase for a private team's celebration, noting that the iconic venue had traditionally been reserved for official state functions and swearing-in ceremonies. She accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar of having "blood on their hands" while attempting to shift blame onto police officers.
Karandlaje also defended the suspended police commissioner, describing B Dayananda as "a good and honest officer" who was being unfairly scapegoated for the administrative failures of political leadership.
In response to the mounting criticism, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar issued a public apology while accusing the BJP of politicizing the tragedy. He acknowledged the government's responsibility and promised to implement better safety protocols for future events to prevent similar incidents.
Legal action has been initiated in connection with the stampede, with police filing a First Information Report against multiple parties. The FIR names Royal Challengers Bengaluru, DNA Entertainment (the event organizer), and the Karnataka State Cricket Association, which manages the stadium. Authorities have stated that no formal permission was granted for the stadium portion of the celebrations.
The investigation has already resulted in arrests, with Bengaluru Police confirming the detention of RCB's marketing and revenue head, Nikhil Sosale, on Friday. This development suggests that accountability measures are being pursued against both organizational and administrative parties involved in the event planning and execution.