Three days after the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and injured around 56 people during a felicitation event for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, an official letter has revealed that police had issued prior warnings about the risks.

A communication dated June 4, the day of the incident, by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Legislature Security) M.N. Karibasavana Gowda flagged serious concerns about crowd management and manpower shortages. The letter was addressed to G. Sathyavathi, Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, and other top officials.

"With lakhs of cricket fans expected to gather at Vidhana Soudha and a shortage of security personnel, managing the crowd will be a major challenge," Gowda wrote in the note.

Gowda noted that "the RCB cricket team has a nationwide fan following" and warned that hosting the event at Vidhana Soudha would "attract lakhs of fans". He said this would pose a "major challenge" due to a staff crunch in the Vidhana Soudha Security Division.

The letter recommended suspending all online and offline public entry passes on June 4 to control the crowd. It also advised against allowing government staff to bring family members to the Secretariat that day, and suggested declaring an afternoon holiday to reduce footfall near the venue.

The DCP also flagged that Vidhana Soudha, being a vital installation and heritage structure, lacked adequate surveillance infrastructure.

Although CCTV coverage had been requested earlier, it remained incomplete, raising concerns about the ability to monitor and secure the premises during a massive public gathering.

Gowda further highlighted that a stage was being erected for the event and insisted that it must undergo structural and electrical safety inspections by the Public Works Department (PWD).

He called for anti-sabotage checks at least two hours prior to the event and stressed the need for a functional anti-drone system, warning that drones may be deployed during such large gatherings.

The senior police official also emphasised the urgency of mobilising additional police personnel from outside the city, pointing out that coordination with law and order as well as traffic police was essential — but difficult given the short notice.

While reiterating that the department would act as per the government’s final decision, the DCP underlined that strict security protocols must be followed to protect both the venue and the attendees.

Source: India Today.