In response to the public outrage over the stampede at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebration that claimed 11 lives, the Karnataka government on Friday dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s political secretary, K Govindaraj, and suspended senior intelligence officer ADGP Hemant Nimbalkar.
The dismissal followed a viral letter allegedly penned by Govindaraj, which requested multiple departments to arrange a large-scale reception for the RCB team. Though the administration did not officially state the reason, sources suggest the move came amid rising criticism over his alleged involvement.
Govindaraj, a Member of the Legislative Council, denied playing any role in organizing the event, stating that he never advised the CM regarding cricket and insisted that his position did not warrant such influence.
Nimbalkar’s duties will now be handled by senior IPS officer S Ravi, formerly serving as Home Secretary. Earlier this week, Bengaluru’s Police Commissioner B Dayananda and four other officials were also suspended over lapses.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar refuted allegations against him, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of exploiting the tragedy for political gain. “We are acting with honesty; they are politicising deaths,” he said, asserting that he merely welcomed the team at the airport and requested cooperation.
The BJP accused the ruling Congress of shielding its political errors by targeting bureaucrats. JD(S) and Opposition leader R Ashok further demanded resignations, questioning if internal rivalries between CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar led to the chaos.
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