Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha, who is leading the magisterial inquiry into the stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, said on Thursday that notices will be issued to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) management, the event organisers, and City Police Commissioner B Dayananda, news agency PTI reported.
The stampede, which occurred during the RCB victory celebrations on Wednesday, resulted in the deaths of 11 people and left over 50 injured.
(Also Read: ‘Bengaluru lost its image, BJP playing politics on dead bodies’: DK Shivakumar on stampede)
"I visited the KSCA stadium today to review the scene. Notices will be sent to key stakeholders to join the inquiry. The investigation will be completed within 15 days," Jagadeesha told reporters.
He clarified that the inquiry is just beginning and refrained from making any conclusions about who was responsible. "I am starting the inquiry now. I will not draw conclusions at this stage," he said.
When asked whether permission had been granted for the event, the Deputy Commissioner said he was not the competent authority to issue permissions, which fall under the purview of the Police Commissioner. "I have to inquire and submit a report to the government," he added.
{{/usCountry}}When asked whether permission had been granted for the event, the Deputy Commissioner said he was not the competent authority to issue permissions, which fall under the purview of the Police Commissioner. "I have to inquire and submit a report to the government," he added.
{{/usCountry}}The state government had earlier announced a magisterial probe into the incident and promised accountability following public outcry and political criticism.
New SOPs
In response to the stampede near Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives, the Karnataka government will introduce a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to regulate large-scale public events, state Home Minister G Parameshwara announced on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said the proposed SOP will cover mega events, public meetings, and celebrations, with a focus on preventing crowd-related incidents.
He added that the government is committed to identifying the lapses that led to Wednesday’s tragedy, where thousands had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory, overwhelming the stadium’s capacity.
"Strict measures will be taken to address the shortcomings that resulted in this unfortunate incident," he said.
(Also Read: 'This could been avoided with better planning': Karnataka Minister admits lapse in Bengaluru stampede)