Latest news with #KarnatakaCrowdControl
India Today
22-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
What Karnataka's new crowd control bill proposes
Facing flak over the handling of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations, which resulted in the death of 11 cricket fans in a stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, the Karnataka government has proposed a new legislation to manage crowds at events. The Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill 2025 looks to 'effectively manage and control crowds at sponsored events and venues of mass gathering' such as political rallies, conferences and other events. It excludes 'jatra, rathotsava, pallakki utsava, teppada teru, urus, or any religious event pertaining to any religion, caste or creed'.Discussed in a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on June 19 and slated to come up for approval in the next cabinet meeting, the draft bill lays down guidelines on standard operating procedures for managing crowds, including protocols for dealing with emergencies as well as provisions for reserved seating, security systems, access control and advanced check-in solutions to prevent bottlenecks while ensuring smooth crowd flow. 'There shall be independent audits of every venue's capacity, entry/exit routes, emergency evacuation options and communication systems,' reads the draft. 'Venues that don't comply with safety standards should not be allowed to host high footfall events.' In case of emergency, the jurisdictional police station may postpone or cancel the event, or change its by event planners shall be punished with 'imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine up to Rs 5 lakh'. 'The event planner is responsible to pay the compensation to the person who is severely injured in such an event, mass gathering pertaining to political rally, jatra, conference etc, or compensation to the family member of the deceased. In case of the event planner not paying the compensation, the government may collect the amount as arrears of land revenue. The event planner's property can be auctioned by the government,' the bill outrage following the tragic loss of lives at the RCB victory celebrations had put the Siddaramaiah-led Congress on the backfoot, even as the Karnataka High Court registered a suo motu petition to hear the matter. The CM sacked his close aide and political advisor K. Govindaraju, while ordering the suspensions of five police officers, including the city police commissioner. A day after the incident, representatives of RCB and an event management company were placed under arrest. Meanwhile, even as a separate probe by the district magistrate is underway, the government instituted an inquiry under retired judge Justice John Michael The Congress government also came under attack from opposition parties, which took out protests holding the government responsible for the tragedy and demanded the CM's to India Today Magazine
Hans India
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Allegations, suspensions and a govt under fire
The stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 during RCB's first IPL victory parade has spiralled into a political and administrative quagmire. Claiming 11 lives and injuring over 50, the incident has exposed glaring failures in crowd management and safety protocols. Activist T J Abraham has levelled serious allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and the Karnataka government's response, marked by hasty suspensions of IPS officers and a delayed report to the Centre, raises questions about accountability and competence. Documents reveal that Bengaluru police had flagged concerns about insufficient preparation time, yet the event proceeded with gates allegedly kept closed on DyCM Shivakumar's orders to create a spectacle. This decision, coupled with last-minute event scheduling, set the stage for a deadly crush. Activist T J Abraham's complaint, filed at Cubbon Park Police Station, names 14 individuals, including Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. Abraham accuses Shivakumar of leveraging the event for personal gain, alleging negotiations to acquire an RCB stake and planning unsafe festivities. The closed gates, he claims, were a deliberate move to amplify the crowd's fervour, directly contributing to the stampede. Rajneesh faces charges of misusing public funds for publicity, while Siddaramaiah's oversight as CM is questioned. A second complaint by activist Snehamayi Krishna echoes these sentiments, intensifying pressure on the Congress-led government. The Opposition BJP has demanded resignations and labelled the incident a result of 'utter mismanagement.' On June 5, the Karnataka government hastily suspended five top police officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand, ACP (West) Vikas Kumar, and DCP (Central Division) Shekhar. The stated reason was 'dereliction of duty'. However, this move smacks of scapegoating according to netizens. Police had warned of logistical challenges, yet the suspensions target lower-tier officials while sparing political leaders implicated in decision-making. Vikas Kumar has challenged his suspension at the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), arguing it overlooks systemic issues. In a bid to restore public trust, the Karnataka government has drafted the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025. The proposed legislation imposes up to three years in jail and Rs 5 lakh fines on commercial organisers, with lighter penalties for non-commercial ones, for safety violations. Compensation provisions, recoverable as land revenue if unpaid, aim to hold organisers accountable.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Post stampede, Karnataka proposes Bill on crowd management
BENGALURU: In the wake of public backlash over the June 4 Bengaluru stampede that claimed the lives of 11 people, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday proposed bringing the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025. According to the proposed bill, once passed in the Karnataka legislature and becoming an Act, whoever does not obey the orders of the police or violates the provisions of the Act or rules shall be punished with imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years or with a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or both. There will be a provision to penalise event planners who gather the crowd for commercial purposes, like sports or circuses, etc. If the event planner does not apply to authorities before conducting the event, or fails to control the crowd gathered, or fails to give compensation, or violates the provisions of the Act, they shall be punished with imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years or with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh or both. The Bill is to effectively manage and control crowds at sponsored events and venues of mass gathering pertaining to political rallies, jatra, and conferences. The event planner is responsible for paying the compensation to the victims or to the family of the deceased. In case the event planner does not pay the compensation, the government may collect the amount as arrears of land revenue. The event planner's property can be auctioned by the government. Briefing the press after the cabinet meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said that four bills—the Karnataka Crowd Control, Managing Crowd at Events and Venue of Mass Gathering Bill, 2025; Karnataka Rohith Vemula Bill, 2025; Karnataka Misinformation, Fake News Prohibition Bill, 2025; Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes Prevention Bill, 2025—were being proposed. 'There needs to be a detailed discussion by the ministers concerned, following which the Bills will be tabled before the next cabinet meeting,' Patil said. As per the Bill, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 45 of 2023) or the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 46 of 2023) shall apply. The Act shall not apply to jatra, rathotsava, pallakki utsava, teppada teru, urus, or any religious event.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
After Bengaluru stampede, Karnataka cabinet to discuss new bills on crowd control, fake news
The Karnataka cabinet is expected to discuss key bills, including the one on crowd control and management with penal provisions upto three years imprisonment, in its next meeting. The Bill gains significance in the wake of the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru that killed 11 people Also, likely to be discussed are bills against misinformation or fake news, and hate speeches and crimes, state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said on Thursday after the cabinet meeting. "Four bills were proposed today -- Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025; Karnataka Rohith Vemula Bill, 2025; Karnataka misinformation, fake news prohibition Bill, 2025; Karnataka hate speech and hate crimes prevention Bill, 2025," Patil told reporters. He said, "These Bills were proposed at the meeting today. I mentioned that there is a need for a detailed discussion on some Bills. It has been decided that before the next cabinet meeting, concerned ministers will meet and discuss and bring the Bills before the cabinet." According to sources, the draft of Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill states that whoever does not obey the orders of the Police, or violates its provisions or rules, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine up to ₹5,000 or both. Further, if the event planner does not apply before conducting the event or fails to control the crowd gathered and fails to give compensation or violates the provisions of the Bill or rules, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine up to ₹5 lakhs or both. Noting that the event planner is responsible for paying the compensation to the person who is severely injured or to the family member of the deceased in stampede-like incidents, the draft Bill says, in case of the event planner not providing the compensation, the government may collect the amount as arrears of land revenue, and the event planner's property can be auctioned by the government. It states that the provisions of the Bill shall not apply to Jatra, Rathotsava, Pallakki Utsava, Teppada Teru, urus, or any religious event pertaining to any religion, caste or creed. The stampede occurred on June 4 evening in front of the Chinnaswamy stadium here, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people died and 56 were injured in the incident. The draft of the Rohith Vemula Bill, reportedly proposes compensation of up to ₹1 lakh for students who face caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions, and jail term of one year and a fine of ₹10,000 for guilty. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in April urging the Karnataka government to enact 'Rohith Vemula Act' to ensure that no one faces caste-based discrimination in the education system. Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student, allegedly died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination in Hyderabad, in 2016.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka plans bill for crowd management
The Karnataka government is planning to enact a legislation on crowd control and management, state law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said on Thursday, with the draft proposing up to three years in jail or a fine of up to ₹5 lakh for organisers who fail to obtain permission. The proposed law — Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025 — was discussed at the state cabinet meeting on Thursday along with three other laws, and is likely to be placed for approval during the next meeting, the minister said. 'Four bills were proposed today — Karnataka crowd control, managing crowd at events and venue of mass gathering Bill, 2025; Karnataka Rohith Vemula Bill, 2025; Karnataka misinformation, fake news prohibition Bill, 2025; Karnataka hate speech and hate crimes prevention Bill, 2025,' Patil told reporters after the cabinet meeting. The minister said that some of the proposed bills need detailed discussions. 'These Bills were proposed at the meeting today. I mentioned that on some Bills there is a need for a detailed discussion. It has been decided that before the next cabinet meeting, concerned ministers will meet and discuss and bring the Bills before the cabinet,' he said. The crowd control bill has been proposed days after 11 people were killed in a stampede on June 4 outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the Indian Premier League victory parade of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team. The draft crowd control legislation outlines a legal framework to regulate gatherings at 'sponsored events and venues of mass gathering pertaining to political rally, jatra, conference, etc.' and seeks to fix accountability on organisers. The legislation exempts certain events from its purview, including religious and traditional gatherings. 'This Act shall not apply to Jatra, Rathotsava, Pallakki Utsava, Teppada Teru, urus, or any religious event pertaining to any religion, caste or creed,' Chapter I of the bill says. HT has seen a copy of the legislation. Chapter IV of the bill lays out penalties for violation: 'If the event planner does not apply before conducting the event or fails to control the crowd gathered and fails to give the compensation or violates the provisions of this Act or rules made hereunder in any other way, [they] shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine up to five lakhs rupees or both.' Further, the bill proposes that event planners who intentionally ignore regulations or fail to take police permission before holding a gathering will be held liable if the event results in casualties. These offences are classified as non-cognizable and non-bailable, triable by a magistrate of the first class. The legislation also criminalises aiding or abetting a crime at such events. It states, 'Whoever knowingly or unknowingly believes commission or omission of any other person would be an offence under the Act' will face legal action. The draft Rohith Vemula Bill, reportedly proposes for compensation of up to ₹1 lakh for students who face caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions, and jail term of one year and pay a fine of ₹10,000 for those guilty of such offences. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had written to chief minister Siddaramaiah in April urging the Karnataka government to enact 'Rohith Vemula Act' to ensure that no one faces caste-based discrimination in the education system. Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student, allegedly died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination in Hyderabad, in 2016. HT reached out to senior BJP leaders BY Vijayendra and R Ashoka, but did not get any response to requests for comments.
