Bengaluru stampede: Three days after the tragic accident outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, there has been a big disclosure from an official letter. According to the letter, before the honor ceremony of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team, the police had warned about the lack of huge crowd and staff. Despite this, negligence was taken in security arrangements, due to which 11 people lost their lives and about 56 people were injured.
On the day of the incident i.e. June 4, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Assembly Security) MN Karibaswana Gowda issued a letter to the concerned higher officials about the venue, mob management, staff shortage and security threats. This letter was sent to several senior officials including Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department Secretary G. Satyavati.
In his letter, DCP Gowda wrote, "Millions of cricket lovers are likely to gather in Vidhan Sauha and it will be a big challenge to control the crowd due to lack of security personnel." He also added that RCB’s popularity is across the country and a large number of fans are likely to arrive for this event.
On June 4, the DCP recommended suspending all online and offline public entry passes for mob control. At the same time, he had also advised that on that day government employees should not be allowed to bring their family members to the secretariat and declared a holiday after noon so that the crowd in the area can be reduced.
It was also revealed in the letter that the monitoring system (CCTV etc.) was incomplete there. Earlier, CCTV coverage was demanded, but till now it was not fulfilled, due to which there was concern about security and monitoring during the crowd.
The DCP said in its letter that a platform is being built for the program, whose structural and power safety should be investigated by the Public Works Department (PWD). In addition, he demanded an anti-sabotaz examination to be conducted at least two hours before the event and warned that such events could be used, so a working anti-draone system should be mandatory.
Gowda also said that there is a need to call additional police force from outside the city as the local force is inadequate. He also talked about coordination with traffic and law and order police, although he admitted that it would be a difficult task in a very short time.
At the end of the letter, DCP Gowda made it clear that the department would follow the final decision of the government, but also underlined that "It is necessary to strictly implement all the security protocols so that the safety of the venue and the people present there can be ensured."
