The function of two senior Karnataka IAS officers concerned within the organisation of a felicitation for the IPL successful Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket workforce on June 4 is beneath probe for doable miscommunications which will have led to the gathering of enormous crowds and a resultant stampede which killed 11 RCB followers on the stadium.
The 2 senior officers and the previous political secretary of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have been influential in convincing the Congress authorities to organise an official felicitation for the workforce on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha, the federal government headquarters, at 4 pm on June 4, sources have revealed.
Though the IAS officers weren’t concerned with a follow-up occasion held the identical day on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium at 5 pm – by the RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Affiliation (KSCA) to rejoice RCB’s victory with followers – the place the stampedes occurred, one of many officers reportedly issued public statements concerning a “victory parade” regardless of the absence of police clearances.
Senior IAS officer and Division of Personnel and Administration (DPAR) secretary Sathyavathi G, who facilitated the Vidhana Soudha felicitation for the RCB cricket workforce on June 4 with clearances from the state chief secretary and the Karnataka chief minister, additionally communicated to the media that there could be a victory march from Vidhana Soudha to the Chinnaswamy stadium regardless of the absence of an official police clearance, authorities sources mentioned.
Video recordings of an announcement made by the DPAR secretary to the media at midday on June 4 reveal that she initially acknowledged that there could be a victory parade however requested the general public to not collect on the Vidhana Soudha as it’s a delicate safety zone and that followers should go the cricket stadium for the celebration.
“The victory march of the RCB will begin from the Vidhana Soudha. That is an iconic and historic second. It is a historic constructing. The KSCA representatives have sought our permission and as per the instructions of the CM we have now granted permission,” the DPAR secretary acknowledged to the media on June 4 concerning the felicitation and celebration occasion.
“We predict the workforce at 4 pm. We’re going to give them a small felicitation on behalf of the state. From 4 pm, the CM and DCM (Deputy Chief Minister D Ok Shivakumar) will likely be current and they’ll welcome the gamers and conduct the programme we hope, and we’re making all preparations,” she mentioned.
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“My humble request is that the group shouldn’t come to Vidhana Soudha, the folks of Bengaluru shouldn’t collect over right here. That is solely a place to begin. They’ve a victory march and they are going to be going to the stadium and there are a number of occasions. The gang should go to the stadium since there will likely be restrictions over right here,” the DPAR secretary mentioned.
Sources mentioned Sathyavathi’s public assertion was opposite to what had transpired at a gathering with Siddaramaiah that morning, the place the Bengaluru police commissioner had objected to the victory parade saying it will be a safety danger.
The Bengaluru police didn’t, nevertheless, formally state on its social media handles on June 4 that there wouldn’t be a victory parade, however the messages indicated that solely two occasions have been going to be held – the Vidhana Soudha felicitation and the KSCA stadium celebration.
Siddaramaiah who posted on social media concerning the Vidhana Soudha occasion at round 1.40 pm, additionally acknowledged within the publish that the general public might take part within the occasion however didn’t point out a parade.
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Regardless of the shortage of police clearances, an open bus was dispatched from the KSCA to the Vidhana Soudha on June 4 at round 4.30 pm to hold the RCB gamers from the Vidhana Soudha to the stadium in a victory parade. The police didn’t allow the open parade.
Hospital medical data for the stampede deaths point out that the primary demise was declared at 3.45 pm and the final at 5.15 pm, which signifies that the deaths occurred by the course of the felicitation and celebration occasions.
Submitting prison complaints towards the RCB, occasion supervisor DNA Networks, and the KSCA, the Bengaluru police have primarily accused the IPL workforce of sending out social media messages with out police clearances from as early as 7 am on June 4 (concerning the open entry victory parade for the RCB workforce) which resulted in giant crowds gathering on the 35,000-capacity stadium and inflicting the stampede.
Sources mentioned {that a} key participant behind the scenes in getting official clearances – from the forms and the police – for the occasions to honour the RCB workforce was Ok Govindaraju, the then political secretary of Siddaramaiah. Govindaraju has been a sports activities administrator for many years and in latest months was tipped to be a possible contender for the publish of the KSCA president.
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Following the stampede, Siddaramaiah sacked Govindaraju on June 6 with out attributing any official purpose. The state authorities additionally suspended three IPS officers, together with Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, on June 5 for not preserving the chief minister abreast of the developments, together with the deaths.
The Karnataka Authorities has to date defended the actions of the IAS officers concerned within the RCB felicitation regardless of a public backlash over the disciplinary motion towards IPS officers and questions raised by retired law enforcement officials over the selective motion.
Sources mentioned the state authorities is mulling motion towards serving IAS officers as effectively and that a few of them could also be despatched on depart.
Siddaramaiah indicated on June 8 that the KSCA officers approached the DPAR for permission for an occasion to felicitate the RCB gamers on the Vidhana Soudha. “The DPAR secretary was apprised of this and granted permission. In fact, I used to be knowledgeable and I mentioned give permission for the occasion on the Vidhana Soudha steps,” he mentioned.
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“In common course they’ve knowledgeable the DPAR secretary. I used to be knowledgeable by the chief secretary. She mentioned, ‘Allow us to do it’. She mentioned the police had agreed and I mentioned, ‘Allow us to do it’. The KSCA secretary and treasurer got here and invited me for the occasion. It was not a operate organised by us however by them,” he mentioned.
“The occasion on the KSCA was the duty of the police and KSCA. The suspension of law enforcement officials was as a result of they didn’t make correct preparations. What has Sathyavathi completed mistaken? Nothing has occurred on the Vidhana Soudha occasion,” he added.
The Karnataka authorities has ordered two separate probes into the stampede aside from a police investigation into the prison grievance filed by town police. A judicial fee probe and a magisterial inquiry can be underway.
The Karnataka Excessive Court docket, in the meantime, has taken up a suo motu petition concerning the stampede deaths.
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The circulate of occasions resulting in the tragedy as analysed from communications between the KSCA and the federal government, the social media timelines of RCB handles and the Bengaluru visitors police, in addition to statements made in police FIRs counsel that the KSCA sought permission from DPAR on June 3 for an occasion for felicitation of the RCB cricket by the CM and deputy CM on the authorities headquarters, Vidhana Soudha, on June 4 within the occasion of RCB successful the IPL finals towards Punjab Tremendous Kings on June 3.
The KSCA CEO Shubendu Ghosh wrote to DPAR, the custodian of the Vidhana Soudha, on June 3 on behalf of occasion administration agency DNA Community for permission to carry a felicitation there.
The DPAR responded on June 4 granting permission after laying down 16 situations to guard the portals of the Vidhana Soudha the place the occasion could be held on the night of June 4 with the attendance of the chief minister and deputy chief minister.
The 2 occasions, on the Vidhana Soudha and the KSCA, have been cleared on the morning of June 4 following a gathering of state and KSCA officers with the chief minister.
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The RCB/KSCA despatched out a media advisory round 10.30 am on June 4 saying there could be a felicitation by the Karnataka CM on the Vidhana Soudha at 4 PM, a Victory Parade round 5 pm and felicitation on the M Chinnaswamy cricket stadium at 6 PM. A visitors police communication to the media nevertheless acknowledged that there could be “NO victory parade”.
The Bengaluru visitors police timeline on X reveals that two visitors advisories have been put out round 2.45 pm and three.30 pm concerning the felicitation on the Chinnaswamy Stadium at 5 PM.
The federal government, whereas suspending 5 law enforcement officials, acknowledged that although the RCB CEO knowledgeable the commissioner on June 3 concerning the victory parade and celebrations on June 4, the police failed to offer a written reply to the organisers “rejecting the permission”.