Cops cane cricket fans

Free entry for a 20-20 match at Chinnaswamy Stadium triggered utter chaos on Saturday with the police using force to disperse cricket fans.

A large crowd had assembled at the stadium for the cricket match between India ‘A’ team and West Indies ‘A’ team, scheduled between 12 noon and 4 pm. The teams played three one-day match series at the same stadium last week. The entry for these matches was also free and there was a huge turnout of cricket fans.

Kamal Pant, Additional Commissioner (Law and Order), said the stadium authorities had not expected huge crowds on Saturday and had opened up only a part of the gallery. However, with thousands of cricket lovers pouring in, the stadium was almost full, resulting in chaos. Police resorted to mild caning as a crowd control measure.