Bengaluru, July 19 (ANI): Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda addresses a press conference on the arrest of suspected terrorists by the Central Crime Branch, in Bengaluru on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
‘Failed to act’: Bengaluru Police Commissioner suspended after RCB celebration stampede kills 11
The Karnataka government has suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, holding him directly responsible for ignoring advance warnings that could have prevented the deadly stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Despite being formally informed a day in advance by RCB’s top management about the June 4 event, Dayananda’s office neither denied permission nor took steps to ensure crowd control, the government said in a searing suspension order. That failure, officials say, led to a catastrophic lapse in public safety — one that claimed 11 lives and injured over 50 others.
Red flags, no response
The order reveals that RCB CEO had sent a formal intimation to the Commissioner’s office on June 3, alerting them to the high-profile celebration. The police, however, failed to act — no written denial, no public advisory, no deployment plan, and no coordination with event organisers.
While the franchise and the Karnataka State Cricket Association went public on social media with celebratory announcements, Bengaluru’s police force remained disengaged. Fans poured in by the thousands. Crowd control was nonexistent. And when panic set in, the situation turned deadly.
Government blames ‘total collapse of communication’
Calling it a “total collapse of basic crowd safety protocol,” the government noted that not only was there a failure to respond, but the matter was never escalated to senior officials who could have intervened in time.
“This wasn’t just negligence — it was an outright dismissal of risk,” said a senior official familiar with the probe. “The result was misery, the loss of precious lives, and a black mark on the state’s reputation.”
More officers held accountable
Commissioner Dayananda is not alone. Four other senior officers have also been suspended:
- Vikash Kumar Vikash, Additional Commissioner (Law & Order), responsible for stadium security
- Shekhar H. Tekkannavar, DCP, Central Division
- C. Balakrishna, Assistant Commissioner of Police
- A.K. Girish, Circle Inspector, Cubbon Park Station
All are accused of dereliction of duty and failure to act on critical information.
The Fallout
With a magisterial inquiry now underway and political pressure mounting, the tragedy has raised serious questions about event policing, accountability, and systemic failure. While the state has announced compensation for the families of the deceased, public outrage continues to grow.