‘Politicians’ publicity stunt led to Bengaluru stampede’: activist files complaint against Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar
Activist T J Abraham has claimed the police had made preparations for a victory parade, but Shivakumar planned two felicitation events at the last minute.
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RCB victory parade turned stampede under complaint holding the state CM responsible. (File Photo)Activist T J Abraham Thursday filed a complaint with the Bengaluru police, holding Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar responsible for the M Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured more than 60 people.
In his complaint lodged at the Cubbon Park Police Station, Abraham named 14 people, including Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Department of Personnel and Administration (DPAR) secretary Sathyavathi G, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) CEO Shubendu Ghosh, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Senior Director Menon Vijayan Rajesh, DNA Entertainment Networks MD Thimmaiah Venkata Varadhana, former police commissioner B Dayananda, and several other senior police officers. Home Minister G Parameshwara and Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath have also been named in the complaint.
Abraham specifically accused Shivakumar of acting due to commercial interests, alleging the Deputy CM was negotiating to acquire the cricket franchise partially or fully. He claimed Shivakumar organised the celebration for “media attention, personal publicity, and to create a public impression” rather than genuine public interest.
According to Abraham, the police had made preparations for a victory parade, but Shivakumar planned two felicitation events at the last minute. The activist further alleged that Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh misused and misappropriated government funds to organise the event that led to the Bengaluru stadium stampede.
Abraham suggested in his complaint that the celebration was motivated by personal and political gains rather than public welfare, and that the officials’ decisions directly contributed to the stampede.
Abraham claimed in the complaint that the 9th accused, Shekar H Tekkannavar, the then DCP (Central), allegedly forced stadium authorities, after being instructed by Shivakumar, not to open all the gates, because he wanted the presence of a huge crowd outside the stadium when he arrived there.
Four people — Nikhil Sosale, Marketing and Revenue Head of RCSPL, Sunil Mathew, Director, and Kiran Kumar S, Event Manager of DNA Networks Private Limited, and Shamant NP Mavinakere, a freelancer with DNA — were arrested in connection with the stampedes, and all were released on bail.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Karnataka unit has demanded the resignation of Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara over the Bengaluru stampede. The BJP have also demanded a three-day special Assembly session to discuss the stampede.
However, the chief minister hit back at the Opposition, and pointed to the tragedies that had taken place during the BJP’s rule. He has also said that the BJP had no moral authority to demand the resignation of leaders in Karnataka.
The role of two senior Karnataka IAS officers involved in the organisation of a felicitation for the RCB team on June 4 is under probe for possible miscommunications that may have led to the gathering of large crowds and a resultant stampede.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court is hearing the case after taking a suo motu cognisance.
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