Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Nine eyewitnesses, including four media personnel, turned up on Friday to share their testimonies before the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district, G Jagadeesh, who is inquiring into the stampede that occurred during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory event on June 4.
This is the final stage of the magisterial probe, as the IAS officer has already recorded the statements of all other concerned parties, including former Police Commissioner B. Dayanand, over the past three weeks.
Kamaresh, a resident of Bapujinagar, was among the nine eyewitnesses and claims to have had a miraculous escape on the day of the stampede. “There was a sudden rush to enter the stadium from Gate 21 as soon as it was opened. I was in the crowd but decided to step back as the crowd was largely youngsters trying to push each other to get into the stadium,” said the 53-year-old.
Owner of a poultry shop, he had come to the stadium to catch a glimpse of the cricketers after learning that entry was free of cost.
As part of the magistrate-level inquiry, Jagadeesh has already recorded statements from Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) members, representatives of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., the police, families of the victims, as well as injured individuals. Earlier, the IAS officer also visited the venue and inspected CCTV footage.
The DC is likely to submit the report to the government in the first week of July after collating all the statements.