Bengaluru Stampede / Action in Bengaluru stampede case, many officers including police commissioner suspended

The Karnataka government has taken strict action in the Bengaluru stampede case. Many senior officials including the police commissioner have been suspended. 11 people died and 56 were injured in the accident. FIR has been registered against RCB, KSCA and the event manager. The High Court has expressed concern over SOP violation.

Bengaluru Stampede: The Karnataka government has taken a tough stand on the massive stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The government on Wednesday suspended several senior officials, including the Police Commissioner, with immediate effect. The suspended officers include the Additional Police Commissioner, DCP of Central Division, ACP, Cubbon Park Police Station Incharge, Station House Officer and Cricket Stadium Incharge.

This action came when the death toll in the accident reached 11, while more than 56 people are injured. Just hours before this move of the government, a case of criminal negligence was registered against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), event management company DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) at the Cubbon Park police station.

Investigation intensified after the strictness of the High Court

The Karnataka High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of this tragic incident and sought a detailed report from the state government. During the hearing of the case on Wednesday, the government told the court that the investigation is going on and efforts are being made to find out how suddenly more than two and a half lakh people gathered outside the stadium.

It also came to light that the Chinnaswamy stadium, which has a capacity of just 35,000, was attended by nearly 3 lakh people that day. No prior planning or management was done for this huge crowd.

SOP ignored and chaos

The court clearly said that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was not followed during the event. The government, on its part, admitted that free entry was kept for the event, due to which the crowd went out of control. Apart from this, the lack of emergency services at the site of the incident – such as not having enough ambulances – also made the accident more serious.

Increasing pressure on the government

The strictness of the court, public outrage and the video footage constantly coming out are putting pressure on the government to take strict action against the culprits. According to sources, the Chief Minister's Office itself is monitoring the entire matter and more officials may come in the dock based on the investigation report.