Bengaluru stampede: Top cop warned against rushed celebration; HM ignored advice: Sources

In the wake of the tragic stampede during the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) victory celebration at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, highly placed sources have revealed to NewsFirst Prime that the Bengaluru City Police, led by Commissioner B Dayanand, had strongly advised against holding the event in haste.

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According to the sources, Commissioner Dayanand had refused permission for a proposed victory parade, warning that fans chasing the celebratory team bus could have led to an even larger-scale tragedy. He had conveyed his concerns directly to Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara, suggesting that the celebrations be postponed by two to three days to allow police adequate time for crowd control and security arrangements.

The Commissioner reportedly also cited that police personnel were already stretched thin after managing spontaneous celebrations across the city on June 3, following RCB’s IPL win.

However, the Home Minister, described as adamant, is said to have dismissed the advice and directed the police to prepare for an immediate celebration. Sources say that after the stampede, which claimed 11 lives, the Home Minister privately admitted to the Commissioner that he should have heeded his warning.

The revelation raises serious concerns about administrative misjudgment and lack of coordination that may have contributed to the tragic incident.