Bengaluru:
Karnataka is set to bring in a new set of rules for crowd control and a draft bill has been prepared. The bill – coming days after the horrific stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, in which 11 people died and 56 were injured – was mentioned in the cabinet today and is likely to be presented to the assembly in the monsoon session.
The proposed rules, which — among other things, hold event planners and executors accountable — envisage three years in jail and stiff fines that begin from Rs 50,000 for violators. Violation will also be a non-cognizable and non-bailable offence, the draft bill says.
For organisers, it presents a long checklist – seen as a likely fallout of the stampede for which the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and DNA Networks have been blamed.
“If the event planner does not apply (for police permission) before conducting the event or fails to control the crowd gathered and fails to give the compensation or violates the provisions of this Act or rules made hereunder in any other way, shall punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three tars or with fine up to five lakhs rupees or both,” says the draft bill, a copy of which is with NDTV.
For event planners, the other list of possible violations include intentionally disobeying the rules, death or bodily harm to anyone at the event, creation of disturbance at the event that results in injury, death or a stampede. There are provisions of punishment for abetment as well.
There are also penal provisions for event planners who gather crowds for commercial purposes like sports or circus.
The bill is a fallout of the massive criticism directed at the state government led by Siddaramaiah after the June 4 stampede. The state’s opposition BJP and the JD(S) have held the Chief Minister and his Deputy DK Shivakumar directly responsible and demanded their resignation. The government was accused of hasty preparation and lack of adequate planning.
The maiden Indian Premier League victory for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru after 18 years had become an emotive issue, drawing a massive crowd of supporters to cheer for the team at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
The unexpected turnout near a narrow entry sparked chaos that led to the stampede.
