RCB Event Tragedy: Karnataka govt suspends top cops, orders judicial probe

Bengaluru: Following the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives and left many injured, the Karnataka Government on Thursday suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “B Dayanand, Commissioner of.

Bengaluru: Following the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives and left many injured, the Karnataka Government on Thursday suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “B Dayanand, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City; Vikas Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police, West Division; Shekhar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division); Balakrishna, ACP, Cubbon Park Division and Girish, Inspector, Cubbon Park Police Station along with Station House Master, Station House Office and Cricket Stadium in Charge have been suspended immediately.”

“Under the chairmanship of High Court retired judge Justice Michel Cunnah, we have appointed a one-man commission,” the Karnataka CM stated.

“We have handed over the FIR enquiry to CID,” he added.

The FIR filed at Cubbon Park Police Station held the RCB franchise, DNA (event manager), KSCA management, and others responsible for gross negligence in crowd control.

The FIR has been filed on a complaint by a police inspector at Cubbon Park Police Station.

According to the FIR, chaos erupted as fans broke barricades, leading to clashes with police and disruption of public order. Authorities have booked the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide and assault on public servants.

The FIR mentioned that a total of 11 people died of suffocation in the stampede at gates 15, 17, 18, 20 and 21, and a total of 64 people were treated for injuries. Several police officers and staff were also injured.

“Therefore, the DNA, KSCA Management Board and RCB franchise were negligent in not taking appropriate decisions at the right time for the entry into the M Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, which caused confusion among the millions of RCB fans who had gathered and tried to break the barricades installed by the police and enter,” the FIR stated.

“A complaint has been filed seeking appropriate legal action against (1) the RCB franchise, (2) DNA, (3) KSCA, the board of directors and (4) others for not only pushing and injuring the police, but also causing disruption to public traffic, leading to the deaths of 11 people, injuries to 64 people and damage to public property, etc,” it added.

According to the FIR, the case was registered at Cubbon Park police station under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115 (Voluntarily causing hurt), 118 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means), 121 (Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty) and 125(12) (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.