Bengaluru stampede: Coming down heavily on lax policing in the aftermath of the stampede that took place during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Thursday suspended senior Bengaluru police officers including city Police Commissioner 'with immediate effect'.
Informing of the steps taken after 11 people were killed in the stampede on Wednesday, the chief minister said, "Cubbon Park Police Station Police Inspector, Station House Master, Station House Officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, Cricket Stadium in-charge, Additional Commissioner of Police, Commissioner of Police have been suspended with immediate effect."
"Under the chairmanship of Justice Michael D'Cunha, a retired judge of the High Court, we have appointed a one-man commission. On RCB, event manager DNA, KSCA, who represented them, we have taken a decision to arrest them," he added.
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, police said.
Charges in the FIR included voluntarily causing hurt (section 115), voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means (section 118), voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty (section 121) and unlawful assembly (section 190) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Also on Thursday, Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha, who is heading the magisterial probe into the stampede, said notices will be issued to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), RCB and Police Commissioner B Dayananda to join the inquiry while the Karnataka High Court, which took up the matter suo moto, directed the state government to file a status report into the tragic incident by June 10.
The political slugfest over the tragedy also intensified as the BJP demanded resignations of chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivkumar, who accused it of playing "dirty politics".
In the aftermath of the stampede, Karnataka home minister Parameshwara announced that the government will formulate a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mega events, meetings, and celebrations to prevent any untoward incidents.
(With PTI inputs)
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