Police patrol the Bangalore Football Stadium during a KSFA Super Division League game on Tueasday.
Credit: DH Photo/BK Janardhan
Bengaluru: "Once bitten, twice shy" goes the famous saying. Karnataka State Football Association appears to be blissfully oblivious to this universal truth. Exemplifying this negligence is the scary incident on Monday when a group of men, armed with machetes, chased a spectator during a league game and nearly hacked him to death inside the premises.
During the KSFA Super Division Championship League match between FC Bengaluru United and Sporting Club Bengaluru on Monday at the Bangalore Football Stadium, a group of half-a-dozen men chased down a spectator, later identified as Sathya, during half-time.
Sathya, a footballer himself, ran for his life before taking shelter in the basement when officials informed the local police. Thanks to the timely intervention of the cops, the armed men fled the scene while Sathya was taken for questioning before being let off as he chose not to file complaint.
Although the match between FCBU and SCB resumed and the league continued on Tuesday, the issue once again highlighted the lack of security at the venue that's notorious for armed conflicts.
In September 2021, five armed men hacked a fellow rowdy to death inside the referees' room during a KSFA Women’s A Division League game. Just like Monday's incident, rowdies then chased the victim in the stands before bludgeoning him to death in broad daylight that left the football fraternity and the women players in shock.
With the gates open during games and hardly any security checks in place despite a murder having taken place, the stadium is a free pass for anyone with anything. Fortunately, no player was harmed during both the incidents but KSFA seems to have learnt little from past experience. Also the stand adjacent to the Hosmat Hospital, from where the attackers entered the stadium, is completely dilapidated and the thick bushes beneath make it a breeding ground for nefarious activities.
"We have taken note of the incident," KSFA secretary M Kumar told DH. When asked what measures the association is planning to take to beef up the security, Kumar had no answers. "We will call for a meeting soon and discuss it," was Kumar's short reply without confirming when they plan to meet to discuss such a serious incident.
DH reached out to NA Haris, the president of KSFA, but didn't elicit any response.