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Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Bengaluru police letter to govt reveals they objected to RCB celebrations at Vidhana Soudha for several reasons
More skeletons are tumbling out of the closet following the stampede that claimed 11 lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations in the Karnataka capital. It's been revealed that a senior police officer had written to the government expressing concerns about crowd safety and also objected to the celebrations at the Vidhana Soudha. M N Karibasavana Gowda, DCP (Vidhana Soudha security) had red-flagged the dangers in a June 4, 2025, letter written to the government secretary to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR). In 10 points, Gowda mentioned concerns including security, time to arrange vital installations, and threats to them. According to a source in the police department, his letter was written after the DPAR sought his opinion about holding a felicitation event on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha to honour the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players. Eleven people died in a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on June 4 during the felicitation event for the RCB following their Indian Premier League (IPL) championship victory. 'Lakhs of cricket fans are likely to come to Vidhana Soudha. Since there is a shortage of security personnel, making bandobast will be a problem,' Gowda wrote to G Sathyavathi, Secretary, DPAR. The letter, accessed by highlighted the venue's sensitive status and inadequate CCTV coverage as additional concerns. Despite these warnings, the celebrations proceeded as planned. Hours before the fatal surge, Sathyavathi publicly urged fans to head to the stadium instead of the Vidhana Soudha, acknowledging overcrowding fears. The team was first feted at the legislature before celebrations moved to the stadium. A source in the government said RCB's victory celebrations were allegedly rushed through less than 24 hours after the final match, without proper crowd control or safety protocols. The DCP's note was reportedly shared with then Bengaluru commissioner of police B Dayananda, who flagged it to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, yet permissions were still granted. On Sunday, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka demanded a special session of the Assembly to discuss the issue. 'On June 4, 2025, Vidhana Soudha police wrote to the Chief Secretary, clearly stating that the event was organized in haste, and due to a staff shortage, security arrangements would be compromised. They had also recommended prohibiting the event. Ashoka recalled that when the Speaker suspended 18 BJP MLAs, he had cited the rulebook. Now, the government itself has violated the law, he charged angrily,' he stated. Speaking at a press conference, he alleged that if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had not engaged in a power struggle, students would not have lost their lives. 'Instead of consoling the families, they were focused on securing a trophy. The police had informed them of the first death by noon. Eight children had already died when the event began, yet the programme continued, showing that these leaders have hearts of stone,' he said. The police had instructed that department staff and their families should not attend, yet families were present. Instructions for CCTV cameras were ignored, and drones were prohibited but used. The government disregarded all these instructions. The directive to limit the stage to 20-30 people was completely violated, with 200 people, including 11 players, present on stage. Despite the event being listed as a government program in the order, Siddaramaiah claimed it was not a government event, Ashoka further alleged. The state government has suspended Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police (west) Vikash Kumar Vikash, Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Shekhar H Tekkannavar, ACP (Cubbon Park sub-division) C Balakrishna, and police inspector Girish A K. The police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of RCB management, and Sunil Mathew Sumanth and Kiran Kumar of DNA Entertainment Private Limited. The accused were produced before the magistrate and have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Also, the state government relieved Siddaramaiah's political secretary K Govindaraju, from the post. Also, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of state intelligence, Hemant M Nimbalkar, has been replaced by S Ravi. The government has also transferred the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a judicial probe headed by Justice Michael D'Cunha has been ordered to look into the lapses leading to the stampede.
Mint
a day ago
- Sport
- Mint
‘Shortage of staff, CCTV': Bengaluru Police red-flagged risks of RCB event hours before stampede, say reports
Several reports emerged on Sunday, claiming that a Karnataka police official had warned of the risks of holding a felicitation ceremony for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Vidhana Soudha. Despite the warning, the government went ahead with it on June 4 and held the event in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The event was first supposed to take place on the grand steps of the state legislative assembly building. A letter dated June 4, accessed by the Times of India and NDTV, showed that senior police officer MN Karibasavana Gowda had warned of security concerns and flagged it to the Department of Personnel and Administrative reforms (DPAR). Gowda had reportedly said there was an acute shortage of officers and personnel. According to TOI, he told DPAR head G Satyavathi that this will severely hamper security arrangements (bandobast) for such a large-scale event. "Lakhs of cricket fans are likely to come to Vidhana Soudha. Since there is a shortage of security personnel, making bandobast will be a problem," MN Karibasavana Gowda, in-charge of security at the legislature, wrote to DPAR secretary G Sathyavathi. In the letter, Gowda also pointed to the venue's sensitive status and lack of adequate CCTV coverage. DPAR official Sathyavathi, who was overseeing arrangements at Vidhana Soudha steps, then publicly urged fans to head to the stadium instead - a short distance away. "The team was feted at the legislature and the celebrations then moved on to the stadium. But fears of overcrowding had set in well in advance," the TOI reported. Despite the warning, the celebrations over the RCB's first-ever victory in the IPL game was allegedly rushed through — less than 24 hours after the final match — without proper crowd control or safety protocols, the report added. Sources told TOI that Vidhana Soudha's Deputy Commissioner of Police's (DCP) note was also shared with then Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, who in turn flagged it to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh. But permissions were still granted. Later, in the evening of June 4, lakhs of cricket and RCB fans thronged the street outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the victory celebrations, leading to a stampede that claimed 11 lives. The stampede took place ahead of RCB team's felicitation after winning their Indian Premier League (IPL) title by defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a tight final on Tuesday. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah recently ordered an increase in the compensation announced for the families of those who died in the stampede to ₹ 25 lakh each. The government had earlier announced a compensation of ₹ 10 lakh each. The top senior officials of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer ES Jairam, tendered their resignations, taking "moral responsibility" for the stampese. On June 5, Siddaramaiah had announced that a one-man commission would be formedto look into the procedural lapses in the issue, and the commission has been asked to give the report in 30 days.
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"No Time To...": NDTV Accesses Cops' Letter Hours Before Bengaluru Stampede
Bengaluru: The police force deployed at the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru had warned against the idea of holding the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s IPL trophy celebrations at the grand stairs of the premises, and also raised concerns over the security challenges that would arise due to a shortage of staff at the state legislature's security wing. In a letter to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on June 4, a day after the RCB registered its first-ever victory in the IPL game, Vidhana Soudha's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) MN Karibasavana Gowda pointed at the lack of time for security preparedness to tackle "lakhs of cricket fans" expected at the spot. He also highlighted the shortage of CCTV cameras around and in front of the Vidhana Soudha, since it is a "vital installation". The details of the letter, reviewed by NDTV, come at a time when the state government is under heavy fire over its alleged mismanagement of the celebrations at the state legislature and the Chinnaswamy stadium, where a stampede killed 11 people, including a 14-year-old girl. Four people, including an RCB marketing head, have been arrested so far. In his letter to the state government, the DCP said: "As the Royal Challengers Bangalore team has a large fan following across the country, holding the felicitation at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha may attract lakhs of cricket fans, potentially creating security challenges due to a shortage of officers/staff in the Vidhana Soudha security wing." The police officer listed a set of challenges and also recommended a series of measures that should be undertaken to tackle them. He stressed the need for "additional police personnel from outside" to oversee the security, even though it will "require sufficient preparation time". "Coordination with the Law & Order and Traffic Police departments is essential for such a large-scale event, and the current time frame seems inadequate for full preparedness," he said. It also flagged the possibility of the usage of drone cameras by the public and recommended that an Anti-Drone System be installed at the venue. The police advised against the entry of family members of the secretariat staff for the felicitation programme. "The event is to be held at 4:00 PM on 04.06.2025. There is a high chance that Secretariat officers/staff may bring their family members to the venue. Therefore, it is requested that orders be issued prohibiting staff from bringing families and declaring an afternoon holiday for Secretariat staff on the said date. Further, they should be instructed not to attend the event venue," he said. Mr Gowda recommended that "all online and offline passes for public entry to Vidhana Soudha be completely restricted on that day". He said the stage setup for felicitating the players must be certified for structural stability by the Public Works Department (PWD). "Organisers should be informed to make the stage available for inspection at least two hours in advance," he said. "As electrical equipment will be used at the event, a fitness certificate must be obtained from the concerned PWD (Electrical) Assistant Executive Engineer. A formal letter should be sent to them for this purpose," he added. Organisers should be instructed to make the stage available at least two hours before the program for anti-sabotage checks, Mr Gowda said. The officer noted that given that the Vidhana Soudha is a heritage and vital installation building, "it is essential that the program be conducted strictly as per security norms without causing any damage to the structure". "However, the government's final decision will be followed accordingly," he said. On Thursday, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, against RCB, DNA Entertainment and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). According to the state government, DNA Entertainment managed the victory celebrations, while the KSCA organised the event. The KSCA said it had sought permission for the event. Preliminary findings indicated the RCB, DNA Entertainment and KSCA went ahead with the event despite permission not being given. KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, secretary A Shankar and treasurer E S Jayaram on Friday approached the Karnataka High Court, saying the FIR was a "serious miscarriage of justice and seeks to pin responsibility on the wrong parties". Several officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, have been suspended for alleged laxity that led to the stampede.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘They have blood on their hands, now blaming cops': BJP slams Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar as cop's warning against RCB felicitation at Vidhana Soudha ignored
MN Karibasavana Gowda cautioned against the Vidhana Soudha felicitation due to potential overcrowding and inadequate security. Despite his concerns, the event proceeded hastily, raising questions about accountability. BENGALURU: Three days after a stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium killed 11 peopleat RCB's IPL win celebration, it emerged that senior police officer MN Karibasavana Gowda had red-flagged the risks just before the event. His written warning to top bureaucrats on June 4, the day of the tragedy, also cautioned against the felicitation at Vidhana Soudha. 'Lakhs of cricket fans are likely to come to Vidhana Soudha. Since there is a shortage of security personnel, making bandobast will be a problem,' Gowda, in-charge of security at the legislature, wrote to department of personnel and administrative reforms secretary G Sathyavathi. Sidda, DKS have blood on their hands, they're trying to wipe it on cops: BJP In the letter, which TOI is in possession of, Gowda also pointed to the venue's sensitive status and lack of adequate CCTV coverage. Hours before the surge, department of personnel and administrative reforms secretary and senior IAS officer G Sathyavathi, overseeing arrangements at Vidhana Soudha steps, publicly urged fans to head to the stadium instead — a short distance away. The team was feted at the legislature and the celebrations then moved on to the stadium. But fears of overcrowding had set in well in advance. Despite the warning, RCB's IPL victory celebrations were allegedly rushed through — less than 24 hours after the final match — without proper crowd control or safety protocols. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Amazing Japanese all-in-one gel for blemish removal YUKINOUE雪之上 Learn More Undo Sources said the DCP's note was also shared with then Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, who in turn flagged it to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh. But permissions were still granted. Adding fuel to the political fire, Union minister and JD(S) functionary HD Kumaraswamy alleged Saturday that the celebrations were 'preplanned' even before RCB won. 'The FIR says permission for the June 4 event was sought on June 3 at 6pm — 90 minutes before the final even began. Did they dream about winning?' he asked, demanding accountability from CM Siddaramaiah , deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and home minister G Parameshwara. He questioned the need for a felicitation so soon. 'Was such a slipshod felicitation needed? Who put pressure on the police commissioner at 7.30am that day for permission?' BJP's Bangalore North MP and Union minister Shobha Karandlaje echoed the outrage, calling it a 'misuse of govt space'. 'The grand stairs of Vidhana Soudha have always been used for swearing-in or state functions. You used it for a private team,' she said. Accusing the Congress brass, Karandlaje said: 'Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have blood on their hands. Now they're trying to wipe it on police officers. Where are KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala hiding?'
