
BENGALURU: Former Karnataka CM M Veerappa Moily urged CM Siddaramaiah to expedite the probe into the stampede during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations that claimed 11 lives and take swift and measured action to restore the confidence among the cricket fans in the state.
In a letter to Siddaramaiah, Moily said instead of multiple probes, a single investigation by a retired judge should be conducted and appropriate measures should be taken to restore confidence among the cricket fans. Moily said the government ordered a magisterial probe by the DC, an inquiry by a retired judge of Karnataka HC, and a probe by CID. Action has also been taken against many policemen.
Stating that hasty decisions by the administration could tarnish government’s reputation, Moily said the CM should reconsider it. Stating that the stampede impacted the reputation of the cricket ecosystem in the state, Moily urged the CM to restore the city and state’s reputation by ensuring proper probe.
He urged the CM to take special care of the families of the victims and those injured as only providing compensation is not enough. Terming speculations over shifting cricket matches from Bengaluru to other places as unhealthy, he said precautionary measures should be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur, and assurance should be given for hosting matches in Bengaluru.
He said people of the state are proud of RCB’s win, but instead of celebrating, fingers are pointed at each other, which is not correct.