Bengaluru | An FIR was registered against RCB, State Cricket Association, and others under various charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the stampede that killed 11 people on June 4, police said on Thursday.
Following a complaint by a police inspector, the case was also registered against the event management firm DNA entertainment private limited at Cubbon Park station on June 5, they said.
In the FIR, RCB Franchise has been listed as accused 1, DNA entertainment private limited as accused 2 and Karnataka State Cricket Association Administrative Committee as accused 3, they said.
The case has been transferred to the criminal investigation department for inquiry.
The case was registered under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115 (Voluntarily causing hurt), 118 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means), 121 (Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty) and 125(12) (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to the FIR, after RCB won the IPL trophy on Tuesday, there were celebrations at night on MG Road, Church Street, in front of Chinnaswamy stadium, UB City and Vittal Mallya Road and police officials were deployed till 5.30 am on Wednesday to ensure that no untoward incident occurred.
On Tuesday around 6 pm, KSCA chief executive officer Shubendu Ghosh requested for permission from Cubbon Park police inspector to organise victory celebrations on Wednesday evening at the stadium if RCB won for which he also sought proper bandobast (security arrangements).
The inspector said if RCB won, lakhs of people would gather and the police would be deployed for night security arrangements as well.
The KSCA administration was also informed that if celebrations are organised at the stadium, lakhs of people would gather and police would need time to make security arrangements and traffic diversions.
Subsequently, permission was denied citing security reasons and traffic snarls but KSCA, DNA Entertainment Private Ltd and RCB allegedly insisted on holding the celebrations on June 4.
The FIR further stated that on Wednesday morning, the RCB franchise announced the programme on social media inviting people for the event despite having no permission from the competent authority.
Taking note of this, an emergency meeting was called by the senior police officials to review the security measures and traffic arrangements. Additional force was also roped in for security.
The FIR stated that necessary security arrangements were made for the felicitation programme at Vidhana Soudha and for transporting the RCB team from HAL airport to Taj West End hotel and later to Vidhana Soudha premises.
Since the victory celebration programme was scheduled at the stadium at 5 pm, the complainant stated that lakhs of fans gathered near the stadium. The Police had made adequate security arrangements for this but the stadium had only seating capacity for around 35,000 people.
"KSCA management committee, and RCB franchise officials failed to decide on how to grant fans entry into the stadium. Consequently, thousands of fans gathered on the roads outside the stadium. Around 3:10 PM, the gates at locations with the largest crowds were opened to let people inside. This led to a severe stampede at the gates, resulting in stampede and commotion," it further stated.
The police officers and personnel, along with private security personnel appointed by KSCA and VIP security, made strenuous efforts to control the crowd. They rescued those injured in the stampede inside and, with the help of the public and police, admitted them to nearby hospitals for treatment.
As a result, a total of 11 people died and 64 were injured, it stated.
"Due to the alertness of the deployed police officers and personnel, the large crowd gathered outside the stadium was safely dispersed using the Public Address system and other methods, directing fans to leave the area. Subsequently, the programme commenced at 5:45 PM," it added.
Police pointed to the negligence on part of the RCB and KSCA for failing to make proper arrangements for the event and provide adequate facilities for the smooth entry of fans. The police in the FIR blamed them for their failure to properly inform public, fans, and the police about the passes and free zones which led to confusion among the lakhs of fans that gathered around the stadium.
It resulted in pushing, shoving and chaos at the gates 2, 2a, 6, 7, 15,17,18,20 and 21, it added.
Bengaluru | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the suspension of Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda and several senior police officials in connection with the stampede in front of Chinnaswamy Stadium here, which left 11 people dead.
He also ordered the arrest of representatives of RCB, DNA entertainment private limited and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), while handing over the probe to the one-man judicial commission headed by retired High Court judge of Karnataka Justice Michael Cunha.
The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening in front of the stadium, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people have died and 56 have been injured in the incident.
"Today the cabinet met and discussed yesterday's tragedy in detail. The cabinet in its wisdom has taken a decision to entrust (the probe) into the incident to the one-man judicial commission headed by retired High Court judge of Karnataka Justice Michael Cunha and we have told the commission to give the report in 30 days," Siddaramaiah said.
Addressing reporters here after the cabinet meeting, the CM said he instructed the DGP and IGP of the state to immediately arrest the representatives of RCB, DNA event managers and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in connection with the stampede incident.
"The cabinet has also taken a decision to immediately suspend the Circle Police Inspector of the Cubbon Park Police station and Assistant Commissioner of Police of that particular area, Deputy Commissioner of Police of central zone, Additional Commissioner of Police -- who is incharge of the stadium, and Commissioner of Police Bengaluru city," he added.
Pointing out that the FIR has been filed in connection with the incident, the CM said the investigation has been entrusted to the CID.
Admitting to an intelligence lapse, he said, no decision has been made yet on taking action in this regard. "We have discussed it."
Asked who would be arrested from RCB, DNA event management firm and KSCA, Siddaramaiah said, "the police will do it and it will be known after the arrest."
In response to a question on whether further involvement has been found, he said, "the one man inquiry commission will inquire and submit a report and based on that further action will be taken and no one will be spared. As prima facie certain lapses were found, instructions have been given for arrests, and also suspension of officials."
Regarding the health condition of those injured, the CM said almost all of them have been discharged other than eight people and none of them are in a serious condition. All their expenses including food, transportation and treatment will be borne by the government."
Bengaluru | Karnataka government will formulate a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mega events, meetings and celebrations aimed at preventing any untoward incidents, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.
The initiative comes in the wake of a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday that claimed 11 lives.
Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said that the government will take strict measures to identify the lapses that led to the stampede near the stadium, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations.
Eleven people have died and 56 have been injured in the incident. Among the injured, 46 have gone back home after treatment, while 10 are in hospital and their condition is not serious, according to doctors.
"Aimed at preventing such incidents, the government and the home department will formulate the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). We will give instructions that from now on any mega events, meetings and celebrations, should be held within the framework of the directions issued by the police department," Parameshwara said.
The new SOP will be formulated to ensure that such incidents never happen in the future, he said.
"Such deaths shouldn't happen. Innocents should not die. Looking at the dead bodies it pains anyone....many of them were youngsters in 20-25 years of age. They came happily to celebrate. They wouldn't have expected to lose their lives. We will take strict measures to identify the lapses," he added.
Stating that such an incident has never happened in the state's cricketing history, Parameshwara said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting yesterday and has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident under the leadership of Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner.
"If any lapses are found, strict action will be taken against whoever is responsible," he said, adding that he didn't want to go into details, because an inquiry has been ordered.
Responding to a question about the government not taking adequate measures and lapses on its part, the home minister said, "As you are aware, there were celebrations (for RCB victory) almost the entire Tuesday night on the streets of Bengaluru. Again in the morning (Wednesday) the atmosphere for this celebration (with the team landing in the city) was created...the entire community in a way was in a celebration frenzy."
"No one expected about three lakh people to come against the stadium's capacity of 30 thousand. According to information from Bangalore Metro around 8.7 lakh people travelled till 11pm (on Wednesday). You imagine how much crowd had come," he said.
Parameshwara said he would be visiting the incident site near the stadium and will also hold discussions with the RCB and Karnataka State Cricket Association representatives.
On questions being asked as to who will take responsibility for deaths, the minister said on getting to know about the lapses, responsibilities can be fixed.
Expressing relief that no untoward incident took place at the RCB team felicitation event in front of Vidhana Soudha, he said, "I heard about some sticks being thrown at the media alleging they obstructed the view....within 2-3 hours as the felicitation event had to be organised, some lapses might have happened."
To a question about allegations that the government neglected senior officials' suggestions against holding the event in haste, he said, "There are such claims. Let's see who said and when."
Later, speaking to reporters after visiting the incident spot and the stadium, the home minister said the stampede had occurred at gate numbers -- 6,7,2,2A,16,17,18, and 21.
There is no information about deaths on the spot. Due to the stampede and suffocation, while being shifted to the hospital, some people have died, and some have died at the hospital, he said.
When people started gathering large numbers, police gathered forces from various divisions, including DCPs and ACPs, he added.
Parameshwara said, "We had estimated about 1 lakh people had gathered in front of Vidhana Soudha and at the stadium 35,000-40,000 people and outside an estimated 2.5 lakh people were there, but according to Metro 8.7 lakh people have travelled. In that if 90 per cent of them were cricket enthusiasts, an estimated more than 8 lakh people would have come, this in not exact figure."
"There is no example of so many people gathering for a cricketing event in Bengaluru. Probably a history would have been created if everything was right. This would have been a record on its own, but unfortunately this stampede incident happened."
