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Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka has written a letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking urgent intervention and a comprehensive probe into the recent stampede in Bengaluru during the IPL victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which claimed 11 lives and injured at least 75 people.
On Thursday, Ashoka urged the NHRC to take suo motu cognisance of what he described as a grave human rights violation caused by alleged gross negligence and administrative failure during the public event held on June 4 near M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Ashoka called the incident "an unfortunate accident," but several eyewitness accounts and preliminary findings suggest that the stampede was not a mere accident. "This is not merely an unfortunate accident- it appears, based on eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations, to be the direct result of gross negligence, mismanagement, and a blatant disregard for public safety by the state government and the concerned authorities," he wrote in the letter. He highlighted lapses such as crowd overspill due to misleading free pass announcements, poor crowd control, low police presence, and lack of medical aid and basic amenities. "The area, which has a capacity of around 35,000, saw a massive and unmanageable influx of lakhs of people, allegedly due to misleading announcements regarding free passes," he wrote. Ashoka also pointed to the alleged role of the event organisers, including RCB, the event management firm DNA, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), in creating confusion and chaos at the venue. He further expressed concern over what he termed as a failure of the state government in preparing for such a massive gathering. "Although FIRs have been filed and an inquiry commission announced, the lack of foresight and planning by government agencies remains deeply concerning," the letter stated. The BJP leader urged the NHRC to launch an independent investigation into the conduct of all government officials, agencies, and private entities involved in organising the event, and to ensure accountability through legal or disciplinary action. Ashoka requested the Commission to also issue guidelines for future public events to avoid such tragedies and monitor the ongoing state-level inquiry to ensure transparency and justice. "This preventable tragedy has caused immense grief and anger among the people of Karnataka. The intervention of the NHRC is vital not only to secure justice for the affected families but also to ensure such an incident is never repeated," Ashoka said in the letter. Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team was officially felicitated by the Karnataka government on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha (State Assembly) on June 4, before the stampede incident occurred at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives and left many injured, the Karnataka government on June 5 suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident. (ANI)
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