Ex-IPS officers write to Siddaramaiah, say Bengaluru police chief & cops ‘made fall guys' for stampede
The signatories included D.R. Kaarthikeyan, former CBI director; G.B.S. Sidhu, former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW); C.D. Sahay, former secretary, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW); B.C. Nayak, former special director, Intelligence Bureau; and several others, including former DGPs of Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In the letter dated 8 June, they said the senior police officers were made the 'fall guys' while those who contributed to the tragedy managed to get away.
Bengaluru: At least 30 retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers shot off a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Sunday, urging him to revoke the suspension of five senior police officers over the 4 June stampede outside Chinnaswamy stadium, where thousands had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL win.
The five officers from Karnataka, including Bengaluru city Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, were suspended for 'dereliction of duty' that led to the stampede in which 11 people were killed.
'In your initial statements, Sir, you had rightly stated that the sudden surge of two/three lakh people at the venue which could accommodate only 35,000 people was the reason for the stampede. However, senior police officers including the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, who has an unblemished record of service and integrity, have been suspended,' read the letter.
Adding, 'They were made the fall guys. There is a general impression that the police officers have been victimised while those, whose haste, over-enthusiasm, and reluctance to take a stand, contributed to the tragedy have managed to get away.'
The letter added to the growing outpouring of support for the suspended police officers, especially Dayananda.
A 1994-batch IPS officer, Dayananda is known as a soft-spoken policeman who commands the respect of his force. The internet is flooded with posts lauding Dayananda's work ethic and dedication as civil society continues to rally behind the IPS officer and pressure the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to reinstate him.
A day after Dayananda was suspended, a police constable was photographed walking with a photo of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and a black arm band to protest the decision.
At least three former Bengaluru City police commissioners have come on record, hitting out against the government for holding only law enforcement officers responsible for the tragedy while absolving all others, including the political class, of any wrongdoing.
'He is the hardest-working officer I know. Even the government knows this but sacrificed him to save themselves,' said one police officer, requesting anonymity.
Since the incident, several letters and disclosures have surfaced suggesting that multiple police officers had warned the state government against holding victory celebrations for RCB's maiden IPL championship win in 18 years.
The Indian Police Foundation, a pan-India multi-disciplinary think tank dedicated to working for police reform, said Monday that the suspension of the police officers before the completion of a detailed investigation 'has raised serious concerns within the professional policing community across the country'.
It added that establishing individual responsibility would be seen as 'scapegoating rather than principled accountability', which would have a demoralising effect on the entire force.
Also read: Police letter warned govt of security risk at Vidhana Soudha RCB event, hrs before Chinnaswamy stampede
Officer approaches CAT
The stampede, in which 11 people died and dozens were injured, prompted Siddaramaiah to suspend the five officers: Commissioner B. Dayananda; Vikash Kumar Vikash, additional commissioner of police (ACP) (West); Shekar H. Tekkannavar, DCP (Central); C. Balakrishna, ACP (Cubbon Park); and A.K Girish, Cubbon Park inspector.
The suspension letter said the police commissioner's office 'failed to give written reply to the organizers, rejecting the permission on the grounds of lack of time to prepare for such a huge event'.
Siddaramaiah also sacked his political secretary and aide, K. Govindaraj, and transferred the state intelligence chief, Hemant Nimbalkar.
On Monday, Vikash approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), appealing the suspension.
There is also anger against the new Karnataka Director-General and Inspector-General of Police (DG & IGP) M.A. Saleem for not opposing the government on the suspensions.
'The DG & IGP position is that of a father. He has service left but will have to serve it without the respect of the force,' said another police officer, also requesting anonymity.
Dayananda, a native of Ranebennur in Karnataka, was posted as an ACP in Puttur in the Dakshina Kannada district in 1998. He later went on to serve as superintendent of police in various districts, including Dakshina Kannada, Kolar, Chitradurga, Belagavi, and Vijayapura districts until 2008. He then served in various capacities in cities like Mysuru and Bengaluru. He is also the longest-serving state intelligence chief and held that position from 2016 until 2023, when he took over as Bengaluru city police commissioner.
He served as the head of intelligence under various chief ministers, including two terms of Siddaramaiah, H.D. Kumaraswamy, B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai.
Known for his passion for technology, he started the practice of police officers having to wear body cameras at all times.
Though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has in the past accused the police of siding with the government and targeting Hindu activists, several leaders from the Opposition have backed Dayananda and other suspended officers to corner Siddaramaiah.
'You are targeting the police. We thought all you (Siddaramaiah) did was break the Hindu society by breaking society on caste lines. But we did not know that you were also against the police,' former BJP MP Prathap Simha told reporters Monday.
Dubbing Siddaramaiah as 'anti-police', he went on to say that the chief minister was protecting those he considered close to him and instead going after the police. 'Our police department is among the most efficient, you are insulting them and calling them unfit. It is you and your government that is unfit,' Simha said.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also read: RCB stampede shows our cities aren't equipped for mass euphoria and celebration
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