BENGALURU: The Karnataka government’s decision to drop departmental proceedings against three senior IPS officers in the 2025 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case has triggered a sharp political confrontation, with the BJP accusing the Congress government of shielding those responsible for one of the state’s worst public tragedies.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka alleged that the June 4, 2025, stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and left more than 50 people injured during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations, was a “government-sponsored administrative failure.” He questioned the government’s decision to exonerate the officers and asked who would ultimately be held accountable for the deaths.
The Karnataka government, on July 14, issued separate orders dropping departmental inquiries against former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, former Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Vikash Kumar Vikash and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekhar H. Tekkannavar.
The government said the officers had submitted written explanations denying the charges and, after examining their defence and the administrative department’s opinion, the competent authority decided to close the inquiries. It also said Tekkannavar was issued a warning to act more responsibly in future.
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಚಿನ್ನಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಕ್ರೀಡಾಂಗಣದ ಬಳಿ ನಡೆದ ಭೀಕರ ಕಾಲ್ತುಳಿತ ಪ್ರಕರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಈಗ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳನ್ನೂ ದೋಷಮುಕ್ತಗೊಳಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಪ್ರೊಟೋಕಾಲ್ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಡಯಾಸ್ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಂದಿರುವವರ ಮೇಲೆ ಏನೂ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳದೆ, ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ತಪ್ಪು ಹೊರಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಈಗ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ನಿರಪರಾಧಿಗಳಾದರೆ ಬಲಿಯಾದ 11 ಅಮಾಯಕರ ದಾರುಣ ಸಾವಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣ ಯಾರು ?… pic.twitter.com/kfGNDLTNty
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) July 15, 2026
Reacting to the decision, Ashoka said the government’s action had raised serious questions about accountability.
“Who is really responsible for the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede? Where is justice for the 11 innocent people who lost their lives? If the police officers have now been given a clean chit, then who will answer for this tragedy?” he asked.
The BJP alleged that the government itself was responsible for the sequence of events that led to the tragedy. The party said permission was granted for victory celebrations at both Vidhana Soudha and Chinnaswamy Stadium on the same day, despite concerns about crowd management. It further claimed that senior bureaucrats ignored police inputs and proceeded with the event, resulting in an uncontrollable gathering outside the stadium.
Ashoka alleged that the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had approved celebrations at multiple venues, while the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) proceeded with the Vidhana Soudha event despite police concerns. He also referred to senior officials overseeing the programme and pointed to the presence of political leaders at the celebrations.
“The government cannot distance itself from the tragedy after having organised and promoted the celebrations. Eleven innocent people died, yet the administration now claims that nobody is responsible. How can such a conclusion be justified?” Ashoka said.
The BJP maintained that it had questioned the government’s handling of the investigation from the very beginning.
“During the Assembly session itself, we had stated that any inquiry conducted by the government would eventually end in protecting those in power rather than fixing responsibility. Unfortunately, that is exactly what has happened,” Ashoka alleged.
The opposition leader further accused the Congress government of denying justice to the families of the victims.
“The families who lost their children and loved ones deserve answers. Instead, the government has chosen to absolve its own officials. Public confidence in the administration will suffer if accountability is avoided in incidents of this magnitude,” he said.
The BJP also questioned the government’s changing stand on the role of the police. Immediately after the stampede, the state government suspended five police officers, including senior IPS officers, alleging serious dereliction of duty and a failure to make adequate security arrangements despite prior warnings about the expected crowd size.
However, after the latest government orders exonerating the senior officers were issued following their written explanations, the opposition claimed the administration had contradicted its earlier position.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede occurred on June 4, 2025, when massive crowds gathered outside the stadium to celebrate RCB’s maiden IPL title. The uncontrolled rush resulted in the deaths of 11 people and injuries to more than 50 others, making it one of Bengaluru’s worst crowd-management disasters.
