Bengaluru Police Warned of Security Risk Before RCB Felicitation; Karnataka Govt Went Ahead

The Karnataka government has come under fire for allegedly ignoring a written warning from the Bengaluru police before the felicitation event of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Vidhana Soudha. The event, held on June 4, 2025, was organised to celebrate RCB's historic Indian Premier League (IPL) victory. However, it ended in tragedy when a stampede broke out later that evening near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, killing 11 people and injuring over 50 people.

DCP Warned of Crowd Mismanagement Risk

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) MN Karibasvanna had submitted a letter on the morning of June 4, had flagged several concerns to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), urging caution due to inadequate security deployment.

Karibasvanna highlighted an acute shortage of personnel available for managing the high-profile event. Addressing DPAR Principal Secretary G Satyavathi, he noted that conducting a grand event on the Vidhana Soudha steps with lakhs of fans expected could severely strain available resources.

"The RCB cricket team has a fan following across the country. Organising the event in a hurry on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha when lakhs of cricket fans will arrive... will lead to problems in security arrangements," the letter read.

The letter further suggested a half-day leave for Vidhana Soudha employees and flagged the absence of CCTV infrastructure to effectively monitor such a large crowd.

So far, the Karnataka government has not officially responded to the revelations made in the letter.

Stampede Erupts Outside Chinnaswamy Stadium

Following the felicitation ceremony attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, a massive crowd surged toward the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the evening to get a glimpse of their cricketing heroes. The event spiraled out of control due to the lack of barricades, poor crowd control measures, and inadequate police coordination.

The chaos resulted in a deadly stampede, claiming 11 lives and leaving several injured. Eyewitnesses say the crowd pushed forward uncontrollably as an open-top bus carrying RCB players approached, triggering panic and mayhem.

What Has the Karnataka Government Done So Far?

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Karnataka police filed FIRs against:

• The RCB franchise
• Event organiser DNA Entertainment Pvt Ltd
• Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)

The government also suspended:

• Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda
• Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash
• DCP (Central) Shekhar HT
• Assistant Commissioner of Police Balakrishna
• Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish AK
• Four individuals, including RCB official Nikhil Sosale and three event managers, were arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in a joint operation with the Central Crime Branch (CCB).
• Additionally, KSCA Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer ES Jairam resigned, taking "moral responsibility" for the incident.

One-Man Inquiry Commission Formed

The Siddaramaiah-led government announced a one-man inquiry commission headed by retired High Court judge John Michael Cunha. The commission is tasked with:

1. Identifying lapses and persons responsible
2. Recommending preventive measures
3. Submitting a report within 30 days
4. Meanwhile, the government increased the compensation for the families of the deceased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.

Opposition Blames State Leadership

Senior BJP leaders have blamed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar for prioritising publicity over safety. Karnataka BJP MLA Arvind Bellad said, "The CM and DCM wanted to take selfies and celebrate with RCB players. Police attention was diverted to protecting them, leaving the public unguarded. Siddaramaiah should resign."

BJP leader CT Ravi added, "Does RCB represent the state? This tragedy happened because of your political credit war. Responsibility must be fixed."

Key Points:

DCP's warning letter predicted crowd issues due to shortage of security personnel.

Karnataka government proceeded with the RCB event despite red flags.

Stampede erupted later at Chinnaswamy Stadium; 11 lives lost.

RCB officials, event managers, and police officers face legal action.

KSCA officials resigned, and an inquiry commission was formed.

BJP blames state leadership for negligence and demands accountability.