Chinnaswamy stampede: CID begins investigation, plans custody for jailed accused amid magisterial probe
Bengaluru: The Special Wing of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will begin its probe into the Chinnaswamy stampede tragedy, which claimed 11 lives on June 4, starting Saturday. Concurrently, the magisterial enquiry by the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district is also progressing.
Sources confirmed that the CID probe will be headed by SP Shubanvita and Dy SPs Gowtham and Purushottam were named as investigators.
The CID is likely to seek custody of the four arrested accused, who were sent to jail, for questioning on Monday, June 9. The department has already filed a petition in the court for this purpose.
CID sleuths are scheduled to visit the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday to inspect locations where the stampede resulted in deaths and injuries.
Sources indicate that the Cubbon Park police, who initially registered the FIR and made arrests, have completed the process of handing over case files to the CID.
Meanwhile, the magisterial probe, mandated to submit its report within 15 days, is progressing. The Deputy Commissioner, acting as the District Magistrate, has visited the scene and collected statements from various hospitals regarding the deceased and injured.
The Deputy Commissioner has also issued notices to over 25 injured individuals, asking them to appear and record their statements.
Separately, a third FIR has been registered by the Cubbon Park police against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), DNA Event Management Company, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
The FIR was filed based on a complaint from C. Venu, a B.Com student. Venu stated in his complaint that he went to the stadium after seeing an advertisement for free passes and suffered an injury to his right leg when a barricade fell on him during the stampede at Gate number 6. He is currently receiving treatment at the Bowring Hospital.
The Karnataka Police, in the FIR lodged regarding the stampede, stated that the accused parties — RCB franchise, event management firm DNA, and the KSCA Administrative Committee — organised the victory celebration without the necessary permissions.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means), 118(2) read with Section 3(5) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt, when the act is done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 190 (unlawful assembly), 132 (criminal force to deter a public servant), 125(a) (filing false affidavit), and 125(b) (rash and negligent acts that endanger human life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
A police complaint has also been lodged against cricketer Virat Kohli on Friday in Bengaluru in connection with the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium during a felicitation programme for RCB, which claimed 11 lives
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Friday provided relief from coercive action to the office-bearers of the KSCA, who were facing the prospect of arrest in connection with the stampede case.
Meanwhile, taking up the petition filed by Malavika Naik, questioning the arrest of her husband Nikhil Sosale, the Marketing Head of RCB, the High Court adjourned the matter to June 9 without providing any relief from arrest.