Just days after a deadly stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium killed 11 people during RCB’s IPL victory celebration, it has emerged that senior police officials had forewarned the Karnataka government about the potential dangers of organising the event at Vidhana Soudha.
A letter dated June 4 from DCP MN Karibasavana Gowda, responsible for legislative security, warned the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) about the anticipated massive crowd, inadequate police presence, and poor surveillance infrastructure. Gowda emphasized that the area, a sensitive government complex, lacked sufficient CCTV coverage and could not handle the influx of lakhs of fans.
Despite this, the event proceeded after approval from top officials, including then Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. Dayananda was later suspended for lapses in planning and coordination.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy criticized the government for failing to prepare for an obvious crowd surge, while HD Kumaraswamy accused DCM DK Shivakumar of recklessness. BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje slammed the use of Vidhana Soudha for a private team’s celebration, calling it inappropriate and alleging the government was scapegoating honest officers like Dayananda.
Shivakumar apologized, promising better systems in the future, but accused the BJP of politicizing the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police have filed an FIR against RCB, event manager DNA Entertainment, and KSCA, citing that no proper permission was granted for the stadium gathering. RCB’s marketing head, Nikhil Sosale, has been arrested.
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