Bengaluru stampede: Terms of reference for Justice D’Cunha Commission focuses only on events at M. Chinnaswamy stadium

The police have argued that the open-air event on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha, organised by the government of Karnataka and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), followed by the unilateral announcement by the RCB of a victory parade despite denial of permission by the police, brought lakhs of people to the streets, eventually causing overcrowding and stampede at the stadium. 

The seven-point Terms of Reference (ToR) for the one-man judicial inquiry commission of former High Court judge Michael D’Cunha to probe the stampede that killed 11 persons limits the scope of the inquiry to happenings at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, and not the entire celebrations in Bengaluru on June 4. 

The police have argued that the open-air event on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha, organised by the government of Karnataka and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), followed by the unilateral announcement by the RCB of a victory parade despite denial of permission by the police, brought lakhs of people to the streets, eventually causing overcrowding and stampede at the stadium. 

The ToR asks the Justice D’Cunha Commission to probe whether required permissions and clearances were obtained, and norms followed, while organising the event at M. Chinnaswamy stadium, based on the sequence of events what and who all were culpable for the stampede that killed 11 persons at the stadium, and precautionary measures taken to prevent such a mishap at the stadium, and lapses, if any, and whoever is responsible for the same.

The commission has also been told to recommend measures to be taken to prevent such mishaps in the future. 

The government order constituting the inquiry commission under The Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, asks the commission to submit its report within one month, and also authorises Justice D’Cunha to rope in a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer for technical and legal help, if needed.