In a sweeping decision, one that is being criticised from several quarters as a wrong and knee-jerk move, the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka took an “unprecedented step” in the history of the state’s policing culture, suspending officers from the top down – from the city police commissioner to an inspector, over the June 4 stampede during Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team’s IPL victory celebrations. This decision against the Commissioner of Police in Bengaluru, B Dayananda, and three other senior police officers of Bengaluru city — a major metropolitan city and global hub — has drawn sharp criticism. The government stated that the reason for this decision was “substantial dereliction of duty” by the officers in handling the Chinnaswamy stampede case that led to the death of 11 persons and 67 injured. But the decision has certainly not gone down well with the police. Several retired IPS officers who have served as Bengaluru Police Commissioners and DGP of Karnataka say that not only is the move unprecedented, it also reflects poor judgment by the state These officers, who have also earlier served in the capacity of Bengaluru Police Commissioner or DGP, came down heavily on the Siddaramaiah government for their decision and sought to revoke it immediately. They argue that the government has insulted the ‘respectable’ post of the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, demeaned a senior officer in public, and hurt the morale of the entire police force. Speaking to News18, Bhaskar Rao, former Bengaluru Police Commissioner and now a BJP leader, called the move “an absolutely nervous and panicky step taken by the Chief Minister.” Having served as Bengaluru Police Commissioner during his active police career, Rao said the position is one of immense responsibility, leading a force of around 25,000 personnel to ensure the safety of a city with over 11.4 million people. “This uncontrollable Deputy Chief Minister of Siddaramaiah (referring to DK Shivakumar) , who has become his enfant terrible, forced him into this grand ragtag programme for which there was absolutely no preparation. No ambulances, no doctors, no ropes, no CCTV cameras — nothing. Now placing the city police commissioner under suspension — what could be a more foolish move? It’s unimaginable.” Calling it a shocking decision, Rao said the suspension of Dayananda and other officers must be revoked, and criminal cases should be filed against Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. “They not only have blood on their hands, they have lost their minds as well,” the former IPS officer said. Former DGP ST Ramesh called the move “not only unprecedented in many ways,” but “totally unjust.” “Firstly, it is an en masse suspension — from Commissioner down to Inspector. Secondly, it is a suspension without a prima facie case against each of them. What is the basis of the suspension — arbitrary decision,” he questioned. He said that to proceed with such action, a proper preliminary enquiry must be ordered, which could have been quickly concluded. He added that the suspension was unjustified and Government punished the police officers for doing their job. “They have punished officers who slogged through the night of June 3. The incident on June 4 was not of their making. It happened due to many factors — RCB, KSCA, BCCI, and the political leadership of the state government,” Ramesh said. “I hear that the police pleaded with the organisers of the RCB event to hold it on Sunday. It is universally known that police deployments need time. You need to plan, identify pressure points, map out sensitive areas, and mobilise manpower — which takes time. To get personnel from surrounding districts. you need to coordinate with stakeholders in order understand the challenges. For all these reasons, these suspensions are not only unprecedented, but totally unjust,” he added. While the officers have legal remedies — be it the State Administrative Tribunal or approaching the court — Ramesh said, “For a senior officer like the Commissioner, or even a junior officer like an Inspector, this move is public humiliation. It’s not about legal remedies or going to court. After slogging away 24×7 for the state government, the action shakes your conscience,” said Ramesh What happens to these suspended officers? During the period of suspension, the officers shall be paid a subsistence allowance in accordance with relevant rules. They shall not leave headquarters under any circumstances without written permission from the State Government. What does the government suspension order say? The government, in its order, said that upon examining how the events unfolded leading to the tragedy, prima facie it found “substantial dereliction of duty” by the following officers: 1. Sri B Dayananda, IPS – Additional Director General & Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City 2. Sri Vikash Kumar Vikash, IPS – Inspector General & Additional Commissioner of Police (West), Bengaluru City 3. Sri Shekar H Tekkannavar, IPS – Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Division, Bengaluru City 4. Sri C Balakrishna – Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cubbon Park 5. Sri AK Girish – Police Inspector, Cubbon Park Police Station The government note explained that on June 4, 2025, a stampede during the RCB victory celebrations at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries. A magisterial enquiry has been ordered, led by the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Bengaluru Urban District, with a report expected within 15 days. One of the most glaring mistakes made by the officers the government said was that it was found was that “the situation was not discussed with higher-ups to seek necessary guidance and advice.” As a result, the situation spiraled out of control, leading to tragic loss of life and embarrassment to the government. The government’s stand is that although RCB’s CEO informed the Commissioner of Police on June 3 about the celebrations on June 4, the Commissioner’s office failed to respond in writing, either rejecting or approving the event due to lack of preparation time. RCB and the Cricket Association went ahead and tweeted about the event, inviting fans without the usual issuance of tickets or passes. Despite knowing this and expecting a massive turnout, the police failed to either organise the event systematically or issue public advisories or mobilise additional forces for crowd control. The state’s Criminal Investigation Department, the Chief Minister added, will take over the investigation into the mishap that has shocked the country. Earlier, the Chief Minister had ordered an inquiry into the incident by a one-man commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Michael D’Cunha.