Bengaluru Stampede: Panel says no to big events at Chinnaswamy stadium

Bengaluru: The Chinnaswamy stadium will have to stop hosting ‘high- attendance events’ if the government acts on the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission’s report, which concluded that the “design and structure” of the ground were “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings. 

The Commission was constituted to investigate the June 4 stampede outside the stadium in which 11 people died. The stampede occurred during celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Citing “systematic limitations”, the Commission has “strongly” recommended relocating events where large crowds are expected to venues that are “better suited”. 

“Any future venue should adhere to international standards,” the Commission said, listing the following requirements: purpose-built queuing and circulation zones separated from public roads, adequate gates for mass entry and exit (ingress and egress), integrated public transport access points and tourist hubs, emergency evacuation plans compliant with international safety norms, and sufficient parking and drop-off infrastructure to handle attendee volumes. 

Only 79 cops for crowd control

On June 4, when the stampede occurred, an estimated 2-3 lakh people had gathered outside the Chinnaswamy stadium. Security was “inadequate and ineffective,” according to the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission report. “Out of 515 men and officers deputed for bandobast, only 79 men and officers were posted outside the (stadium’s) gates to manage and control the crowd. Even these men and officers were not visible at the venue during the crisis,” the Commission’s report stated.

“Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness,” the panel said in its report. 

Built in 1974, the 32,000-capacity stadium functions under Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). The stadium is spread over 16 acres and 32 guntas belonging to the PWD, which leased the land to the KSCA for 99 years starting from July 1969.

“The design and structure of the stadium was unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering [sic],” the Commission stated. “All the entry and exit gates were directly opening into the footpath. Spacious and organised holding area for crowd were not provided at the entry, as a result, the audience were forced to queue up on the footpath or road (obstructing) and endangering pedestrians and vehicular movement as well as giving scope for miscreants to join the crowd aggravating the risk, especially in the absence of proper security,” it said. 

The panel has recommended action against KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat, ex-secretary A Shankar, ex-treasurer E S Jairam, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur, police officers B Dayananda, Vikash Kumar Vikash, Shekhar H Tekkannavar, C Balakrishna and A K Girish.

The government is likely to decide on the recommendations in the next Cabinet meeting.