BENGALURU: Karnataka govt tasked retired high court judge John Michael D'Cunha with submitting a report within a month on the June 4 stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 and wounded over 75 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations, officials said Saturday.
A govt notification on June 5 directed Justice D'Cunha - who gained national prominence in 2014 for convicting former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case - to give priority to the stampede probe. He already heads inquiries into the pandemic medical procurement scam and oxygen-related deaths at Chamarajanagar hospital in Karnataka.
His one-member commission - appointed on Aug 25, 2023, and set to conclude work by July 31 this year - has now been granted an extension till Aug 31 to accommodate the additional case. "Since the commission needs to prioritise the stampede and submit its report in a month, the term has been extended," the govt order read.
CM Siddaramaiah's govt has launched a three-pronged investigation - judicial, magisterial, and CID, which took over the criminal probe Friday evening from Cubbon Park police. Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner is heading the magisterial probe.
CID officers inspected the stadium and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) office Saturday. They seized CCTV footage, collected the digital video recorder for forensic analysis, and questioned KSCA staff. Two deputy SPs and several inspectors are part of the probe team.
Police custody will likely be sought Monday for four key suspects already remanded in judicial custody: RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale, 38; DNA Networks director Sunil Mathew, 49; ticketing official Shamanth SP, 38; and manager Kiran Kumar, 40. Three FIRs were filed earlier by Cubbon Park police before the handover.
CID is expected to issue notices to additional accused in coming days, while also coordinating with hospitalised survivors. The magistrate probe is progressing in parallel, with Bengaluru Urban DC Jagadeesha G summoning over 25 wounded people to record statements on June 11. He said notices will be issued to police officers deployed during the stampede.