The Karnataka government has revoked the suspension orders against Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and three senior officers previously held accountable for the fatal stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries.
The revocation follows days after intense public criticism and backlash over the initial suspensions, which were issued after alleged crowd management failures during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration. The incident occurred when a massive, uncontrolled fan turnout outside the stadium caused a deadly surge.
While Commissioner Dayananda, Circle Inspector A K Girish (Cubbon Park PS), ACP C Balakrishna, and DCP Shekhar H Tekkannavar have been reinstated, the suspension of ACP (West) Vikash Kumar Vikash remains valid as legal proceedings continue in the Karnataka High Court.
The government had earlier cited “serious negligence of duty” as the reason for the suspensions, accusing the officers of failing to anticipate and control the situation despite warnings.
Defending the initial disciplinary action, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that the suspensions were grounded in preliminary inquiries, which indicated lapses in the police’s preparedness. He also accused the opposition—BJP and JD(S)—of politicising the tragedy for electoral leverage. “Those who neglected their responsibilities were suspended based on early evidence,” he said, dismissing demands for the resignation of himself and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah emphasized that the government’s aim was to uphold accountability, not indulge in political blame games. “We acted on facts, not political pressure,” he added.