The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has severely reprimanded RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) in the Bengaluru stampede case. The tribunal said that the police is not a magician or a god. RCB is fully responsible for the stampede.
After ending the drought of the IPL Trophy after 18 years, Bangalore Management organized a grand Victory Celebration on 4 June at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. About 12 people died and more than 50 people were injured in the stampede at the event.
The tribunal said in sharp terms that RCB announced the event on social media without informing the police or on social media. The tribunal said, “After his announcement on social media, crowds started gathering on the spot. Due to lack of time, the police were late in taking all the necessary steps.”
According to the tribunal, the event was to be held on 4 June, and from June 3, a crowd started gathering around the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Another government program was also being organized on the same day, due to which the police faced lack of resources. At the same time, due to lack of notice, it became very difficult for the police to control such a large number of crowds.
It said, “Police personnel are also humans. They are neither God nor magician, and they have no magical power like ‘Aladdin Ka Chirag’, so that any wish is fulfilled only when rubbing finger.”
The court emphasized that sufficient notice and prior coordination is necessary to ensure public safety, and held RCB responsible for this negligence.
Additionally, CAT has canceled the suspension order issued by the Government of Karnataka against senior IPS officer Vikas Kumar Vikas. He was suspended after a stampede, and he challenged the government’s order of June 5 in the tribunal. In that order, the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner B.K. Dayanand and DCP Shekhar H. Teknavar were also named.
