Seemanth Kumar Singh appointed Bengaluru Police Commissioner after RCB parade stampede fallout

In the wake of the stampede that claimed 11 lives during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebrations, Senior IPS officer Seemanth Kumar Singh was appointed as the new Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City on Thursday.

The 1996-batch IPS officer replaces B Dayananda, who, along with other top police officials, was suspended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over lapses in crowd management and public safety during the June 4 event outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The state government has also ordered the arrest of executives from RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and DNA Entertainment Networks—the event management firm responsible for organising the celebrations.


The suspended officials include Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner (West) Vikash Kumar Vikash, and DCP (Central) Shekhar H. Tekkannavar, along with officers from the Cubbon Park Police Station jurisdiction.

Moreover, addressing a late evening press conference, the chief minister stated that a preliminary inquiry had found prima facie negligence on the part of the police leadership. The Congress leader further announced the launch of a judicial inquiry to be led by retired Karnataka High Court judge Justice John Michael D’Cunha.

A parallel investigation will also be conducted by the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The CID has been tasked with probing the roles and responsibilities of RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and event organiser DNA Entertainment Networks in the incident.

Earlier in the day, the Cubbon Park Police Station registered two FIRs citing criminal negligence leading to multiple deaths and injuries. The FIRs name the RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment Networks, and members of the KSCA Administrative Committee.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the stampede and directed the state government to submit a status report detailing the causes and preventive measures.