Stampede case: Despite police’s ‘warning’ letter, Karnataka govt held RCB felicitation event

In his letter, the DCP highlighted that RCB fans are likely to arrive in lakhs. As the event is organised in haste at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, there will be difficulty in organising security due to a shortage of staff and officers

Bengaluru: Even as the Congress-led government is highlighting the “failure” of the Police Department in connection with Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives, it has emerged that a letter from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Vidhana Soudha Division, Bengaluru, had warned against holding the event, citing security and overcrowding concerns. The letter, dated June 4, was sent to the Chief Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR).

Responding to letters from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and the Under Secretary of the DPAR regarding the organisation of a felicitation event on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, DCP MN Karibasavana Gowda issued the warning in his three-page reply.

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In his letter, the DCP highlighted that RCB fans are likely to arrive in lakhs. As the event is organised in haste at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, there will be difficulty in organising security due to a shortage of staff and officers.

The letter highlighted, “The Vidhana Soudha building is a vital installation. A request has been made to install CCTV cameras in front of the building, but they have not been installed yet. As the fans are likely to come in lakhs, CCTV installation is very important. Otherwise, there is a possibility of disruption to the security system.”

The DCP underlined that RCB’s fan base is huge, requiring the deployment of officers and police personnel from outside, which takes time. He also noted the need for coordination with police attached to the law and order and traffic divisions, and that there was a shortage of time.

The letter further highlighted the possibility of drone camera usage and the need to establish an anti-drone system.

The Vidhana Soudha building is a heritage building and categorised as a vital installation, requiring time to organise such an event to ensure the security of the building. However, despite these concerns, the DCP underlined in the letter that the department would act as per the government’s directions.

Notably, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced the suspension of five senior police officers, including the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and DCP (Central Division), in connection with the stampede.

The order further underlined that: “The CEO of RCB had intimated the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City on June 3 about holding the victory parade and celebrations on June 4. However, the office of Police Commissioner failed to give a written reply to the organisers, rejecting permission on the grounds of lack of time to prepare for such a huge event.”

The RCB and the Cricket Association went ahead to write on social media about the celebrations and invited the fans to the Chinnaswamy stadium without going through the usual practice of issuing tickets or passes.

“Despite, the knowledge of these developments and expectation of huge turnout of cricket fans by the police, steps were not taken to either have the event organised systematically at the stadium or give adequate information to the public to take necessary precautions for their safety or provide additional Police force for appropriate crowd management,” the order noted.

“Further, the above situation was not discussed with the higher-ups for taking necessary guidance and advice on the matter. As a result, the situation went out of control and brought a lot of misery, loss of precious life and embarrassment to the Government. In view of the above, the conduct of the above-mentioned IPS Officers is in gross violation of AIS (Conduct) Rules, and that of the ACP and PI is in gross violation of Karnataka State Police (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules, 1965,” the order stated.