Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government will initiate legal proceedings against the managements of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL), DNA Entertainment Network (DNAEN) and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).It will also initiate a departmental enquiry against five police officers, including former Bengaluru Police Commissioner, in connection with the June 4 stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the celebration of the maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) victory of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.As many as 11 persons were dead and over 70 people injured in the stampede that broke out at the stadium where lakhs of people gathered to witness the celebrations.The state cabinet, which met here on Thursday, accepted the report of the one-man Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice (Retd) John Michael Cunha set up to investigate into the causes that led to the stampede and decided to initiate action against the private firms and police officers as recommended by the commission. Justice Cunha submitted his inquiry report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 11.”The cabinet has accepted the Cunha commission’s report in its entirety and will take action against erring firms and officials as recommended by the commission,” Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told reporters after the cabinet meeting.Among the persons who will face legal action, include KSCA President Raghuram Bhat, former Secretary A Shankar, former Treasurer E S Jairam, Vice President of RCSPL Rajesh Menon, Managing Director of DNA Entertainment Networks Dr T Venkat Vardhan and Vice President Sunil Mathur.The department enquiry will be conducted against former Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayanand, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Vikash Kumar Vikash, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) Shekar Tekkannavar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Cubbon Park Sub-Division) C Balakrishna and Cubbon Park Police Inspector A K Girish. The officers have currently been kept under suspension since June 7.However, the commission has said nothing about the felicitation programme organised for the RCB players on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha. “Since the terms of references given to the inquiry commission limited only to the stampede at the stadium, the report says nothing about the programme at the Vidhana Soudha,” a source said
The commission in its inquiry report held RCSPL, KSCA and DNA responsible for the stampede as they did not take prior permission from the licensing authority as required under the provisions of the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bengaluru City) Order, 2009.”The organisers were duty-bound to obtain prior permission at least seven days in advance furnishing the details such as the exact venue of the assembly, number of attendees, anticipated vehicular traffic and contact details of at least five persons from the organising committee. But none of these requirements were fulfilled by the organisers,” the report said.The report also blamed the organisers for inviting people for the event through their social media handles without making proper arrangements and also for making inconsistent and conflicting announcements with regard to the mode of entry into the stadium.”Not regulating the entry into gates and making reckless announcements with regard to the entry into the stadium is the root cause for the stampede and the consequent deaths and injuries,” the report stated