"No Time To...": NDTV Accesses Cops' Letter Hours Before Bengaluru Stampede

The police force deployed at the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru had warned against the idea of holding the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s IPL trophy celebrations at the grand stairs of the premises, and also raised concerns over the security challenges that would arise due to a shortage of staff at the state legislature's security wing. 

In a letter to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on June 4, a day after the RCB registered its first-ever victory in the IPL game, Vidhana Soudha's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) MN Karibasavana Gowda pointed at the lack of time for security preparedness to tackle "lakhs of cricket fans" expected at the spot. 

He also highlighted the shortage of CCTV cameras around and in front of the Vidhana Soudha, since it is a "vital installation". 

The details of the letter, reviewed by NDTV, come at a time when the state government is under heavy fire over its alleged mismanagement of the celebrations at the state legislature and the Chinnaswamy stadium, where a stampede killed 11 people, including a 14-year-old girl. Four people, including an RCB marketing head, have been arrested so far. 

In his letter to the state government, the DCP said: "As the Royal Challengers Bangalore team has a large fan following across the country, holding the felicitation at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha may attract lakhs of cricket fans, potentially creating security challenges due to a shortage of officers/staff in the Vidhana Soudha security wing." 

The police officer listed a set of challenges and also recommended a series of measures that should be undertaken to tackle them. 

He stressed the need for "additional police personnel from outside" to oversee the security, even though it will "require sufficient preparation time". "Coordination with the Law & Order and Traffic Police departments is essential for such a large-scale event, and the current time frame seems inadequate for full preparedness," he said.

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It also flagged the possibility of the usage of drone cameras by the public and recommended that an Anti-Drone System be installed at the venue. 

The police advised against the entry of family members of the secretariat staff for the felicitation programme. 

"The event is to be held at 4:00 PM on 04.06.2025. There is a high chance that Secretariat officers/staff may bring their family members to the venue. Therefore, it is requested that orders be issued prohibiting staff from bringing families and declaring an afternoon holiday for Secretariat staff on the said date. Further, they should be instructed not to attend the event venue," he said. 

Mr Gowda recommended that "all online and offline passes for public entry to Vidhana Soudha be completely restricted on that day". 

He said the stage setup for felicitating the players must be certified for structural stability by the Public Works Department (PWD). "Organisers should be informed to make the stage available for inspection at least two hours in advance," he said. 

"As electrical equipment will be used at the event, a fitness certificate must be obtained from the concerned PWD (Electrical) Assistant Executive Engineer. A formal letter should be sent to them for this purpose," he added. 

Organisers should be instructed to make the stage available at least two hours before the program for anti-sabotage checks, Mr Gowda said.

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The officer noted that given that the Vidhana Soudha is a heritage and vital installation building, "it is essential that the program be conducted strictly as per security norms without causing any damage to the structure". "However, the government's final decision will be followed accordingly," he said.

On Thursday, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, against RCB, DNA Entertainment and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). 

According to the state government, DNA Entertainment managed the victory celebrations, while the KSCA organised the event. 

The KSCA said it had sought permission for the event. Preliminary findings indicated the RCB, DNA Entertainment and KSCA went ahead with the event despite permission not being given.

KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, secretary A Shankar and treasurer E S Jayaram on Friday approached the Karnataka High Court, saying the FIR was a "serious miscarriage of justice and seeks to pin responsibility on the wrong parties". 

Several officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, have been suspended for alleged laxity that led to the stampede.