Latest news with #JohnMichaelD'CunhaCommission
The Hindu
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Govt. revokes suspension of four of five police officers suspended over stampede
The State government on Monday revoked the suspension of four of the five police officials, including former city police commissioner Additional Director General of Police B. Dayananda, that it suspended over the stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 persons on June 4. This comes days after retired judge John Michael D'Cunha Commission report recommended 'appropriate legal action' against the five officials. The order revokes the suspension of Mr. Dayananda, former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), Shekar H.T., former Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cubbon Park Subdivision), C. Balakrishna and Inspector (Cubbon Park) A.K. Girish. The suspension of Vikash Kumar Vikash, former Additional Commissioner of Police (West), Bengaluru, who approached Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and got relief, is yet to be revoked as the State government has challenged the order in High Court and is still pending. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had on June 5 announced the suspension of these five police officials at a press conference, holding them responsible for lapses that led to stampede. The Chief Minister had later too on multiple occasions defended the government's action against the officers, including that of the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, whose suspension was unprecedented. On July 10, the Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission report also held these five officers responsible for the stampede and recommended 'appropriate legal action' against the five suspended officers. The Commission found that the police 'failed to stop the event knowing fully well that the event was unauthorised and that the event was organised in haste without proper security arrangements' and that 'the security provided by the police was inadequate and ineffective to meet the exigency'. While it was said that the State government would file an FIR against the five officers, the Cabinet on July 24 decided to initiate a Departmental Enquiry (DE) against the officers and not file an FIR. Days after that, the State government has also revoked their suspension. In the order revoking their suspension on Monday issued by Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the government said the suspension was being revoked as both the judicial commission and magisterial committee have completed their enquiry into the stampede incident and submitted their reports to the government, and the officers had also submitted representations requesting to revoke their suspension.
Mint
3 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Chinnaswamy declared ‘unsafe' after stampede; Women's WC 2025, IPL 2026 matches in doubt
Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium has been deemed "unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering" by the Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission appointed by the Karnataka Government. The statement comes as some big ticket matches are scheduled to be held at the venue later in the year including the Women's World Cup matches. The one man commission was setup by the Karnataka government earlier in the year after a stampede had killed 11 fans and injured many others as fans had gone to the venue to take part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL winning celebrations.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Unsuitable And Unsafe": Probe Provides New Details In IPL Stampede Controversy
The Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission, appointed by the Karnataka Government, has deemed the Chinnaswamy Stadium "unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering", casting a shadow over some big-ticket matches, including the Women's World Cup games scheduled at the venue later this year. The state government constituted the one-man commission after a stampede killed 11 fans and injured scores of others, who had thronged the areas near the stadium to take part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL title celebration. "The design and structure of the stadium was unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering," the commission deemed in its report which was recently tabled before the state cabinet, which the PTI has accessed. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is scheduled to host the opening game and the final of the ICC Women's WC later this year, and this observation and its acceptance by the state government could have a wider impact on those matches. It may be recalled that the KSCA has already decided to host this year's Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament, scheduled for next month, behind the doors. Further, the commission noted that the authorities should consider "relocating" large sporting events to venues that have the capacity to hold large gatherings. "Given these systematic limitations the commission strongly recommends that stadium authorities consider relocating events that are expected to attract large crowds to venues that are better suited for such large gatherings," the commission stated. The commission also proposed some remedial measures to avoid such tragic events in future such as "adequate entry-exit gates for mass entry and exit (ingress and egress), and emergency evacuation plans compliant with international safety norms." The commission then deemed that holding "mass events" until these preventive measures are met could cause more damages. "Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness," it said. The commission also suggested initiating legal proceedings KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, now-resigned secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur. Meanwhile, the DNA has approached the Karnataka High Court against the constitution of the commission and its findings.
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Chinnaswamy Stadium Declared 'Unsafe'; RCB, World Cup Matches Under Threat
Last Updated: The Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission declared Chinnaswamy Stadium unsafe for mass gatherings, threatening the 2025 WC final and RCB's future games in IPL. The Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission, appointed by the Karnataka Government after the deadly June 4 stampede in Bengaluru, has declared the Chinnaswamy Stadium 'unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering'. It puts into threat several matches scheduled at the ground, including the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup final. 11 people died, many teens among them, and several others were seriously injured near the stadium premises in a huge gathering to celebrate IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s maiden IPL win in the 2025 season. The team had arranged a parade, with the government also putting up some functions — none of which the city's infrastructure and police force seemed prepared to manage. The commission also proposed measures to avoid such tragedies. 'Adequate entry-exit gates for mass entry and exit (ingress and egress), and emergency evacuation plans compliant with international safety norms," it said. The local T20 tournament, called the Maharaja Trophy, will already be held indoors, after a directive from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). If the government was to accept these recommendations, it would be difficult to see the ICC hosting the World Cup final and three other matches of the tournament at the venue. It can also have an impact on RCB, who play seven matches here every season, and will be expected to get the hosting rights for the IPL 2026 final and second qualifier as the defending champions. 'Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high-attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness," the comission said. It also recommended legal proceedings against KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, now-resigned secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Taking responsibility: on the stampede in Bengaluru
For many cricket lovers in Bengaluru and Karnataka, the one lingering disappointment was the persisting failure of Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. Virat Kohli may have been king across the world but in the IPL he was not, until a dramatic change of fortunes at the very end of his career. The cup win in 2025 was to be the crowning glory of Kohli, RCB, and, eventually, Bengaluru itself. But tragically enough, the stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the victory celebrations on June 4 upended that glory. In its probe of the stampede that killed 11 and left 71 injured, the John Michael D'Cunha Commission has come down severely on the RCB management and the police. It has pinpointed the cause as 'not regulating the entry into the gates and making reckless announcements with regard to the entry into the stadium'. It has named many and recommended legal action against them while discussing how such gatherings can be made safer and the medical backups that may be required. But its terms of inquiry were limited and missed the bigger picture. Blame must be apportioned to all stakeholders who just did not think of the consequences of calling for such a large gathering and going ahead with it without the permissions and arrangements. The police must be faulted for not beefing up the arrangements at the stadium's entry and exit points. But it may not be fair to blame them for allowing the event — it had practically become a fait accompli as the administration was going along with the celebrations and the euphoria. The stadium event was among the three planned that day. As if to kick off the celebrations, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah felicitated the team in an open-air event outside the Vidhana Soudha in the morning. These celebrations set the tone for what unfolded that day. To their credit, the police did refuse to allow the planned victory parade on an open bus. And at the Vidhana Soudha, where only a few among the lakhs who had gathered got to see their favourite stars, an announcement was made that people could proceed to the stadium which has a seating capacity of just 32,000. In a broader sense though, the stampede was a reflection of the realities of urban life too, where massive flash crowds can generate from communities sharing a common passion and kindled by social media. Urban planners and managers have little clue on how to handle such mobilisations, which have resulted in stampedes at religious, social and cultural events, leading to the loss of hundreds of lives.
