Open day today, magistrate records statement of Dayananda in Chinnaswamy stampede case

BENGALURU: The investigation into the RCB victory parade stampede at the Chinnaswamy stadium, that claimed 11 lives and left about 65 injured, is in its final stages. The district magistrate, Jagadeesha G, is conducting an open-day inquiry on Friday as part of the magisterial investigation.

The public has been invited to participate in the inquiry, which will conclude with a report being submitted to the government next week. The inquiry commission has so far examined 140 witnesses.

All the victims died due to suffocation, as per the autopsy reports.

Five key points noted during the inquiry:

Police permission was not obtained before promoting the event on social media.

The organisers failed to manage the event properly.

Barricades and gates were not adequately manned by security personnel.

An announcement was made about free entry at the stadium, leading to a rush.

Police security management was inadequate.

Home Minister G Parameshwara, along with DG&IGP M A Saleem and City Police Commissioner B Dayananda at the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha.

With the magisterial inquiry reaching its final stage, suspended IPS officer B Dayananda’s statement was recorded on Thursday where he has provided a detailed account of the events leading up to the tragedy.

Dayananda stated that he personally inspected all 21 gates on the day of the incident and ensured that adequate security arrangements were in place, similar to previous IPL matches. However, he noted that the gates were opened late, which led to the chaos, particularly since free tickets had been announced.