Latest news with #Dayananda
The Print
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Print
Ex-IPS officers write to Siddaramaiah, say Bengaluru police chief & cops ‘made fall guys' for stampede
The signatories included D.R. Kaarthikeyan, former CBI director; G.B.S. Sidhu, former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW); C.D. Sahay, former secretary, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW); B.C. Nayak, former special director, Intelligence Bureau; and several others, including former DGPs of Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In the letter dated 8 June, they said the senior police officers were made the 'fall guys' while those who contributed to the tragedy managed to get away. Bengaluru: At least 30 retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers shot off a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Sunday, urging him to revoke the suspension of five senior police officers over the 4 June stampede outside Chinnaswamy stadium, where thousands had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL win. The five officers from Karnataka, including Bengaluru city Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, were suspended for 'dereliction of duty' that led to the stampede in which 11 people were killed. 'In your initial statements, Sir, you had rightly stated that the sudden surge of two/three lakh people at the venue which could accommodate only 35,000 people was the reason for the stampede. However, senior police officers including the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, who has an unblemished record of service and integrity, have been suspended,' read the letter. Adding, 'They were made the fall guys. There is a general impression that the police officers have been victimised while those, whose haste, over-enthusiasm, and reluctance to take a stand, contributed to the tragedy have managed to get away.' The letter added to the growing outpouring of support for the suspended police officers, especially Dayananda. A 1994-batch IPS officer, Dayananda is known as a soft-spoken policeman who commands the respect of his force. The internet is flooded with posts lauding Dayananda's work ethic and dedication as civil society continues to rally behind the IPS officer and pressure the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to reinstate him. A day after Dayananda was suspended, a police constable was photographed walking with a photo of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and a black arm band to protest the decision. At least three former Bengaluru City police commissioners have come on record, hitting out against the government for holding only law enforcement officers responsible for the tragedy while absolving all others, including the political class, of any wrongdoing. 'He is the hardest-working officer I know. Even the government knows this but sacrificed him to save themselves,' said one police officer, requesting anonymity. Since the incident, several letters and disclosures have surfaced suggesting that multiple police officers had warned the state government against holding victory celebrations for RCB's maiden IPL championship win in 18 years. The Indian Police Foundation, a pan-India multi-disciplinary think tank dedicated to working for police reform, said Monday that the suspension of the police officers before the completion of a detailed investigation 'has raised serious concerns within the professional policing community across the country'. It added that establishing individual responsibility would be seen as 'scapegoating rather than principled accountability', which would have a demoralising effect on the entire force. Also read: Police letter warned govt of security risk at Vidhana Soudha RCB event, hrs before Chinnaswamy stampede Officer approaches CAT The stampede, in which 11 people died and dozens were injured, prompted Siddaramaiah to suspend the five officers: Commissioner B. Dayananda; Vikash Kumar Vikash, additional commissioner of police (ACP) (West); Shekar H. Tekkannavar, DCP (Central); C. Balakrishna, ACP (Cubbon Park); and A.K Girish, Cubbon Park inspector. The suspension letter said the police commissioner's office 'failed to give written reply to the organizers, rejecting the permission on the grounds of lack of time to prepare for such a huge event'. Siddaramaiah also sacked his political secretary and aide, K. Govindaraj, and transferred the state intelligence chief, Hemant Nimbalkar. On Monday, Vikash approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), appealing the suspension. There is also anger against the new Karnataka Director-General and Inspector-General of Police (DG & IGP) M.A. Saleem for not opposing the government on the suspensions. 'The DG & IGP position is that of a father. He has service left but will have to serve it without the respect of the force,' said another police officer, also requesting anonymity. Dayananda, a native of Ranebennur in Karnataka, was posted as an ACP in Puttur in the Dakshina Kannada district in 1998. He later went on to serve as superintendent of police in various districts, including Dakshina Kannada, Kolar, Chitradurga, Belagavi, and Vijayapura districts until 2008. He then served in various capacities in cities like Mysuru and Bengaluru. He is also the longest-serving state intelligence chief and held that position from 2016 until 2023, when he took over as Bengaluru city police commissioner. He served as the head of intelligence under various chief ministers, including two terms of Siddaramaiah, H.D. Kumaraswamy, B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai. Known for his passion for technology, he started the practice of police officers having to wear body cameras at all times. Though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has in the past accused the police of siding with the government and targeting Hindu activists, several leaders from the Opposition have backed Dayananda and other suspended officers to corner Siddaramaiah. 'You are targeting the police. We thought all you (Siddaramaiah) did was break the Hindu society by breaking society on caste lines. But we did not know that you were also against the police,' former BJP MP Prathap Simha told reporters Monday. Dubbing Siddaramaiah as 'anti-police', he went on to say that the chief minister was protecting those he considered close to him and instead going after the police. 'Our police department is among the most efficient, you are insulting them and calling them unfit. It is you and your government that is unfit,' Simha said. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also read: RCB stampede shows our cities aren't equipped for mass euphoria and celebration
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Dream that jolts you out of sleep to achieve big: Karnataka Housing Board Commissioner
'One must dream but it should be a dream that jolts one out of sleep,' said Karnataka Housing Board Commissioner K.A. Dayananda at the valedictory function of a 50-day residential coaching camp for IAS and KAS aspirants, organised by the Competitive Exam Training Centre at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru on Tuesday. 'Dedication and relentless hard work can make such dreams a reality. Daydreaming about film or cricket stars will take you nowhere,' he said. Sharing his personal journey, Mr. Dayananda spoke about his humble beginnings in a thatched hut at Kestur Koppal in K.R. Nagar taluk, his childhood routine of walking four km to Hebbalu with sugarcane and tomatoes, and his early jobs including working as a lineman in Bengaluru's Majestic area and selling onions and garlic in local markets. 'I studied in a Kannada medium school, and there were engineers and doctors when I became the Assistant Commissioner after clearing my KAS exam. I did not even know what a computer was. Yet, I was instrumental in implementing the e-office system in the State,' he recalled. Mr. Dayananda said poverty or studying in a Kannada medium are not obstacles. 'Don't go looking for a guru. Don't let your mind control you; you must control it.' The event featured an interactive session with Additional Deputy Commissioner R. Aishwarya. KSOU Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V. Halse spoke on the university's commitment to coaching rural and underprivileged students. C.S. Anandakumar, Jainahalli Satyanarayana Gowda, Siddesh Honnoor, and B. Ganesh were present.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: HD Kumaraswamy calls Siddaramaiah ‘Stairs CM', slams him for putting blame on police
Bengaluru: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy trained his guns on chief minister Siddaramaiah , dubbing him the "Stairs CM" (equating to the stairs in front of the secretariat) for his statement that the stampede incident did not occur in front of Vidhana Soudha and was unrelated to him. Kumaraswamy took to X on Monday and questioned whether Siddaramaiah is the chief minister of Karnataka or only for the Vidhana Soudha stairs. He asked how fair it was to wash his hands clean by skirting the blame entirely on police and why there was a desperate ploy to distract by targeting the opposition. Meanwhile, the KPCC criticised the social media campaign in support of the suspended Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda. KPCC spokesperson Ramesh Babu said no one from Dayananda's community requested the CM to appoint him as the commissioner. It was the CM's call as part of his social commitment to taking all the communities together. "The opinion emerging after the suspensions is BJP-driven," he alleged. He questioned BJP for not appointing Dayananda as the commissioner during its tenure though he was eligible for the post. "BJP is playing politics in the name of caste," he claimed.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengaluru Stampede: Police officer says CM's office ordered to go ahead with RCB's IPL win celebration despite risks
The suspension of Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda and four senior officers has triggered widespread anger within the police force. Officers across ranks—from constables to inspectors—say they feel betrayed by the government they serve, calling the action unprecedented and demoralising, ToI reported. A police inspector said such suspensions were unheard of in Indian policing, particularly under these circumstances. 'The chief minister's office instructed him (Dayananda) to proceed with full arrangements regardless of the risks. If accountability must be fixed, it should start with those in the govt,' he told ToI, pointing to the direct involvement of the state leadership in organising the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory celebrations . The backlash reached the gates of power on Thursday when head constable Narasimharaju from Madiwala police station staged a lone protest in front of Raj Bhavan. He was detained by police, taken to the Vidhana Soudha police station, and released after giving an apology. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 허리통증에 다리가 저리다면 지금 늦지 않았습니다! 비수술로 치료 가능합니다!! ort02a_강남정형외과병원 지금 문의 Undo An assistant sub-inspector from the central division described the suspensions as politically motivated. 'There is video proof of deputy CM DK Shivakumar waving the RCB flag and welcoming the team. They wanted to take credit, and now they've made scapegoats of hardworking officers. It's demoralising,' he said. A senior inspector added that Dayananda had been against holding a ceremony at Vidhana Soudha and had recommended keeping it confined to the stadium. 'The police commissioner was against holding a function at Vidhana Soudha. He had pushed for hosting it only at the stadium, but the CM's office insisted on going ahead. We're being punished for following orders,' he said. 'We work round the clock, sacrificing family time. And this is what we get!' Live Events The sentiment was echoed across police ranks, with growing criticism not just of the elected leadership but also of senior bureaucrats. Police personnel said the chief secretary and other IAS officers were equally culpable for 'throwing caution to the wind.' Many in the force credited Dayananda with improving the city's safety and questioned why he was being held responsible for what they believe was a failure of political judgement. 'He should not have been punished for a disaster that, they claim, speaks more about the political establishment's greed to bask in the glory of the IPL champions than any real policing lapse,' said one officer. A head constable from the south-east division described the exhausting shifts since the IPL final. 'We barely had any rest. Yet, by afternoon on June 4, we were told to again report for duty near the stadium [Chinnaswamy]. And now, they're targeting the commissioner who stood by us!' (with inputs from ToI)
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Top Cop Was Part Of Solution": Kiran Bedi On Suspension Over Bengaluru Stampede
New Delhi: The suspension of Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda over the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede is not "rational and justified", former IPS officer Kiren Bedi said on Saturday, as she joined a string of voices from the police association to condemn the action. "Every case of law and order is unique. We need somebody who has to explain (what happened). He had to be heard. Did the commissioner ignore everybody? How can you just pick up the commissioner? It is unfair. He has not worked in isolation," Ms Bedi told NDTV. "Any suspension which is not rational, justified, explained is demoralising for the entire force. This suspension order is taken like a fly out of a milk. You need to find out if there is a swarm of flies...," she added. The former IPS officer said the people of Bengaluru do not even know who played what role in managing the crowd that had gathered outside the stadium. "He (Mr Dayananda) did not work in isolation. There was a whole headquarters, the secretariat and the political leadership involved," she said. Eleven people - all below the age of 40, including a 14-year-old, died and more than 50 suffered injuries in the stampede that broke out at the stadium gate on Wednesday, when a large number of people thronged to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s first-ever victory in the Indian Premier League. A day later, Mr Dayananda was suspended for alleged dereliction of duty, and Seemanth Kumar Singh was appointed to the top post. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal was also transferred and was replaced by Sudheer Kumar Reddy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's political secretary K Govindaraj was sacked and head of the intelligence department, Hemant Nimbalkar, was transferred. Four people, including an RCB marketing head, have been arrested so far. The police commissioner is a part and parcel of the whole system that has either delivered or not delivered, Ms Bedi said. "If he is a part of the problem, then he is a part of the solution? How can you remove the solution? She also said that a police assessment is very vital to understand the sequence of events that lead to such tragedies. "Their assessment is very vital to be heard in meetings held by people like the chief secretary... You cannot just pick and choose. It is an administration vs an organisation affair," she said. Ms Bedi's remarks came as several of her retired colleagues in the association criticised Mr Dayananda's suspension and alleged the police were being made a "scapegoat" in the case. Echoing similar sentiments, former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said: "Sacking a police officer like Dyanand is unacceptable. He and his team safeguarded the city all night and now, he has been bulldozed," he said. Photo Credit: PTI Mr Rao also alleged that the action was taken at the behest of Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who are like a "rocket without a tail". "It was their mistake. They brought the (RCB) team on a chartered flight. Mr Shivakumar thought he would identify himself with the youth. A police commissioner and his entire team being suspended is unheard of," he said. He said the suspended officials can approach the Central Administrative Tribunal to dispute the government action since the police association cannot take up individual cases. Sources in the police association alleged a clear violation of the law by the RCB and sought a thorough probe into the matter, "without any political pressure". "In the light of the facts available in the public domain, it seems the police have been made a scapegoat in this case to save face," a source said. "The sequence of events show that everyone at the top level of the government was aware of the program. To say that the police commissioner did not consult senior officials is not correct," the source added.
