Bengaluru Stampede: Karnataka High Court questions government over placing report in 'sealed cover'
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The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday questioned the state government for insisting on keeping its status report on the stampede in a sealed cover and underlined transparency and accountability in the investigation process.When the suo motu petition over the stampede, that claimed 11 lives on June 4, came up for hearing before Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice CM Joshi, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty said the government was not shying away from disclosure, but wanted to avoid prejudicing ongoing inquiries."We will place both reports next week," he said, referring to preliminary findings and interim assessments prepared by the state. The AG stressed that certain observations in the report were of preliminary nature and could be sensationalised by the media if made public prematurely.The bench reiterated that it would consider the question of keeping the status report inside a sealed cover and announced its decision to appoint an amicus curiae. Further, the court said it would seek assistance from the amicus curiae before arriving at a decision on the matter.The court indicated a clear preference for transparency and accountability in the investigation process.The AG sought an adjournment of 20 to 25 days to allow all reports to come in. However, the bench appeared unconvinced. "Why should that restrict us?" the court asked, reiterating that the proceedings were not limited by the state's internal timelines.The court said it intended to implead the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and DNA Networks -- three entities involved in the conduct and management of the IPL match Advocates representing various applicants called for public disclosure of the state's report, arguing that transparency and accountability are vital.A counsel, quoting from a legal precedent, said, "A one-sided submission causes serious violation of natural justice." Another added, "Sealed covers lead to a culture of opacity."The bench directed the counsel seeking enhancement of compensation for victims to submit their application to the Advocate General so the state could respond accordingly.The court ordered that notices be issued to KSCA, RCB, and DNA Networks, making them party respondents. The next hearing is scheduled for June 23.
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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: D'Cunha report blames RCB, KSCA, DNA for tragedy; firm moves HC, calls it ‘biased, hasty'
The Karnataka cabinet has accepted the Justice John Michael D'Cunha report on the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, which resulted in 11 fatalities. Consequently, the cabinet has announced legal action against the RCB franchise, KSCA, and DNA Entertainment Networks. BENGALURU: The Siddaramaiah cabinet on Thursday decided to initiate legal action based on retired high court judge John Michael D'Cunha's report indicting IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks for the June 4 stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium in which 11 cricket fans died and over 50 others were injured. 'Action against (suspended) govt officials depends on the outcome of the departmental inquiry,' law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil said after the cabinet meeting, in which the inquiry report into the stampede was formally accepted. DNA Entertainment immediately filed a petition in Karnataka high court, asking for the inquiry commission's report to be quashed on grounds of alleged procedural lapses and bias. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru CM Siddaramaiah suspended former Bengaluru police chief B Dayananda and four other senior cops on charges of crowd-management lapses, while fending off allegations that his govt was just as responsible for clearing a victory parade for IPL champions RCB even before the final in Ahmedabad got over on June 3. The Central Administrative Tribunal has since stayed the suspensions. DNA Entertainment's petition alleges that the report was submitted in 'undue haste', ignoring 'critical documentation' demonstrating the firm's efforts to manage the event inside the stadium. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Prettiest Icons In The History The Noodle Box Undo It argues that an event management company can not be held liable for crowd mismanagement outside the venue, which is under govt's jurisdiction. The firm has also flagged simultaneous inquiries in alleged violation of Article 20(2) of the Constitution, which prohibits multiple proceedings for the same offence. The high court had taken suo motu cognisance of the stampede deaths and sought a report from the state govt, following which the commission of inquiry was announced. A parallel CID investigation and a magisterial inquiry led by the deputy commissioner (Bengaluru urban) are underway. The D'Cunha Commission named KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat, former secretary A Shankar, ex-treasurer E S Jayaram, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment managing director T Venkatavardhan and vice-president Sunil Mathur, among others, as being responsible for the stampede.
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka cabinet accepts judicial panel report on RCB stampede
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday formally accepted the findings of a judicial commission that investigated the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade that killed 11 people and injured another 70 last month. On 4 June, following RCB's IPL win, a massive crowd of over 300,000 people gathered near and around Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for a victory parade and celebration. (PTI) The government said it is now preparing to initiate legal and departmental action against those held responsible for the tragedy, including senior police officials and top organisers of the event. 'The cabinet has decided to accept justice John Michael D'Cunha's report and take legal action on its basis,' Karnataka law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said. The cabinet note indicates that the action will be directed at individuals and private organisations involved in organising the June 4 event, including RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and DNA Entertainment Networks. Specific individuals were named in the note for action, including KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, former president A Shankar, former treasurer Jayaram ES, Rajesh Menon of RCB., and Venkata Vardhan of DNA Entertainment Networks, which managed the event. 'Action will be taken,' against them, the cabinet note said, without specifying the precise legal steps that will follow. The development comes days after the Karnataka government told the high court that its own police were at fault for the stampede, changing its previous position that the IPL franchise RCB was to blame. The state argued before a bench of Justices SG Pandit and TM Nadaf that the police should have formally objected to the event and that they should have refused to provide security for the event since no official permission was granted for it. The police reports to the state government. On 4 June, following RCB's IPL win, a massive crowd of over 300,000 people gathered near and around Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for a victory parade and celebration. As per the state, the stadium has a capacity of only 35,000. The report prepared by retired high court judge John Michael Cunha found that the organisers failed to obtain mandatory permissions and ignored safety protocols. It held Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd., DNA Entertainment Networks, and KSCA accountable for conducting the parade without requisite licenses or coordination with the police. 'The organisers were duty bound to obtain prior permission… but failed to obtain the requisite permission license [and] failed to follow the procedures,' the report said. Despite knowing the event was unauthorised, senior police officers allowed it to proceed without adequate arrangements, the commission added. The report named Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, additional commissioner (west) Vikash Kumar Vikash, deputy commissioner of police HT Shekhar, and assistant commissioner of police C Balakrishna for their failure to act and manage the crowd. Both Dayananda and Vikash have already been suspended, and the cabinet has now ordered departmental inquiries against officers named in the report. Vikash had challenged his suspension before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which reserved its verdict after hearing the matter. In its order, the tribunal, comprising justice BK Shrivastava and Santhosh Mehra, observed that the June 5 suspension was issued in a 'mechanical manner' and noted that there was no 'convincing material to show any default or negligence' on the part of the suspended police officers at the time. Justice Cunha's report said that the stampede was a result of mismanagement, lack of planning, and deliberate negligence. 'Stampede was triggered by the organisers themselves by not regulating the entry into the gates and making reckless announcements… which in the opinion of the commission is the root cause for the stampede and the consequent death and injuries,' the report noted. On the day of the incident, thousands of fans arrived at the stadium after RCB posted an open invite on social media. However, there were no clear instructions on how to enter, leading to congestion. The commission said neither the organisers nor the police attempted to control the growing crowds. It also found that police officers were working under the command of the commissioner in coordination with the event organisers even before official arrangements had been finalised. The physical infrastructure of the venue was also found to be inadequate. 'All the entry and exit gates were directly opening into the public footpath… there were no organised holding areas,' the report noted. Security deployment was poor. Of the 515 personnel reportedly deployed, only 79 were stationed at the gates. Ambulances were parked far from the venue, and there was no casualty reception centre or medical base nearby. Misleading announcements and narrow entry points further worsened the situation. 'The absence of coordinated messaging and reliable updates prevented effective crowd management and contributed directly to the uncontrolled surge at various gates,' the report said. The commission urged the government to enforce stringent guidelines for future public events and avoid hosting mass gatherings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium unless its infrastructure is overhauled. 'Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness,' the report warned. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Congress government in Karnataka of attempting to deflect blame in the aftermath of the stampede. Responding to the findings of an internal inquiry, which reportedly faulted the RCB management for the chaos, BJP MLA and deputy Leader of the Opposition Aravind Bellad countered that the event was not just organised by the franchise but also promoted heavily by the Congress leadership and government officials. 'It's not only RCB that invited people, a huge number of people came on the invitation of the Congress, (deputy chief minister) DK Shivakumar and government officials, the DPAR secretary came on TV and invited people, the government is solely responsible for this,' Bellad said. Raising questions about the government's decision to suspend police officers for alleged lapses in crowd control, Bellad demanded an apology from chief minister Siddarmaiah to the former Bengaluru police commissioner. 'If the report says RCB is solely responsible, why did the government suspend police officers? The chief minister should apologise to the former police commissioner. If there was an intimation by RCB that they will hold the event, then the government should have refused permission. They had all the right to say this event cannot be held. Just to take credit for the victory, the chief minister and the deputy chief minister invited people,' he said.
The Print
20 hours ago
- The Print
Giving itself clean chit, Karnataka govt accepts D'Cunha panel report on Chinnaswamy stadium stampede
'The cabinet which accepted the report, we have decided that the action, legal action, as per law, will be taken against those private associations and also against the officers who are named in the report,' Karnataka's Minister for Law & Parliamentary affairs, told reporters in Bengaluru. The decision has garnered widespread criticism since the government gave itself a clean chit while laying the blame on every other stakeholder who was part of the celebration, including the police that was only following its orders. Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah Cabinet Thursday accepted Justice John Michael D'Cunha's report on the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede in line with its stand to go after private entities and its own police officials who it held responsible for the loss of 11 lives. He added that the report recommended taking appropriate legal action against IPL cricket franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), DNA Entertainment, three office bearers of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and at least five police officers, including the former city police commissioner. Thursday's decision also adds to the strained relationship between the Siddaramaiah government and its police force as former city police commissioner suspension was criticised by the opposition and the civil society at large. The Print had reported that senior police officials warned the Siddaramaiah government against holding the felicitation for RCB at Vidhana Soudha. Siddaramaiah even fired his political secretary allegedly for insisting on going ahead with the celebrations and later telling the media the exact opposite. But, the government has refused to own up any responsibility for the 4 June tragedy even as the victory parade for RCB's maiden IPL victory was announced—and later cancelled—within a few hours on the same day, fuelling confusion and eventually leading to the stampede. At least a couple of hundred thousand people had come near the Vidhana Soudha to be part of the celebrations and the same crowd was seen rushing to enter Chinnaswamy Stadium which has a capacity of around 40,000 spectators. The Opposition continues to demand the resignations of Siddaramaiah, his deputy and Home Minister Calls to the RCB representatives went unanswered. This article will be updated as and when a response is received. DNA Entertainment Networks, the event management company responsible for organising the RCB victory celebration, meanwhile, filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the findings of the report. Also Read: 'My brother was crazy about cricket, it took his life': Chinnaswamy stampede leaves families devastated 'Wiping blood off of its hands' Apart from Dayananda, the panel mentioned the names of Vikash Kumar Vikash who was then Additional Commissioner of Police (West), Shekhar DCP (Central), ACP, Cubbon Park sub-division, and Girish, 4.K. Police inspector (Cubbon Park), in its report. Vikash has already approached multiple forums to challenge the suspension. The police had flagged the government about shortage of personnel, lack of CCTVs and the paucity of time as it had to coordinate with other departments like traffic among others, the letter shows. 'Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a nationwide fan following. There is a shortage of security personnel and this could pose a problem since the event is being held in a hurry and lakhs of fans are expected to turn up,' DCP (Vidhana Soudha Security) Gouda wrote in a letter dated 4 June. Arvind Bellad, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, told the media that 11 people died because of the government's mistake. 'The CM and the Deputy CM to cover this up suspended the commissioner and forced Govindraj to resign because of the high command's pressure. When they ordered for the committee, we knew it was that they were covered in blood and this was an attempt to wash it,' he alleged. He questioned how everyone, including an IPL team, the state cricket association, an event management company and even the police were at fault but the head of the government was absolved of any wrongdoing. The BJP, he said, would bring up the issue in the monsoon session of the Karnataka Assembly, scheduled to commence in the second week of August. Report findings According to the D'Cunha report, the security provided by the police was 'inadequate and ineffective' to meet the exigency. Only four pages of the report was shared with the media. Most of the 11 fatalities and 71 injuries were reported at Gate No.7, 2/2A, 18, 20 and other gates were recorded. 'Out of 515 men and officers deputed for bandobust, only 79 men and officers were posted outside the gates to manage and control the crowd. Even these men and officers were not visible at the venue during the crisis,' the one-man commission found. It added that the staff working in the control room failed to alert the security staff positioned in and around the entry gates, which contributed to the severity of the incident. Despite clear signs of overcrowding, it said, the exit gates were not opened in time, which was 'a serious act of negligence' on the part of security authorities and absence of emergency protocols. 'One of the key contributing factors to the stampede was the improper and unscientific installation of the barricades and the narrow constricted entry gates. Misleading and last minute announcements created widespread confusion among fans and followers,' the report states. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: RCB marketing head, 3 from event firm that organised parade among 4 held over Bengaluru stampede
