Karnataka CM’s political secretary removed, ADGP Intelligence transferred in Bengaluru stampede case

The Karnataka government on Friday relieved MLC K Govindaraj as political secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and transferred Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Intelligence, Hemant Nimbalkar, following the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people, official sources said.

These decisions came a day after Siddaramaiah suspended Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior police officials.

The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening in front of the stadium, where a large number of people gathered to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people died and 56 were injured in the incident.

"The appointment of K Govindaraj as political secretary to the Chief Minister is hereby revoked with immediate effect. Accordingly, K Govindaraj is hereby relieved from the post of political secretary to the Chief Minister with immediate effect," an official notification said.

Though no official reason was given for Govindaraj's removal, the decision is said to be linked to the June 4 incident, according to official sources.

Amid allegations of intelligence failure over the stampede and the administration's inaction, the government has decided to transfer ADGP, Intelligence, Hemant Nimbalkar.

"Nimbalkar has been transferred, the order is awaited," official sources said.

Conceding that there was an intelligence failure in connection with the stampede incident, the CM on Thursday had said, “No decision has been made yet about what action is to be taken.”