Following the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the IPL victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), Hemant Nimbalkar (1998-batch IPS officer), has been transferred, according to official sources on Friday.
The deadly incident occurred on Wednesday evening, resulting in 11 fatalities and injuries to 56 others, triggering widespread outrage and a wave of administrative repercussions.
Intelligence Failure and Accountability
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah acknowledged a failure in intelligence and crowd control, stating that while discussions had taken place, no final decisions had yet been made regarding disciplinary action. However, pressure continues to mount as questions are raised over preparedness and crowd management.
Senior Police Officials Suspended
Several high-ranking officers have already been suspended in connection with the incident, including:
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Circle Inspector A.K. Girish (Cubbon Park Police Station)
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ACP C. Balakrishna
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DCP Shekhar H. Tekkannavar
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Additional Commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash (2004-batch IPS)
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Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda (1994-batch IPS)
FIR Filed Against KSCA and RCB
An FIR has been registered against the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Administrative Committee and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), among others. However, the Karnataka High Court has instructed police not to take coercive action against KSCA officials at this stage.
Political Fallout
In a related political development, K. Govindaraj has been removed from his position as Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, with immediate effect, as per a government notification.
This developing story continues to unfold as investigations and accountability measures gather pace following one of the state’s most serious public safety lapses in recent years.
