Laathi in hand, the officer is seen in footage from the scene pushing back the incoming crowd to create space.
Published Jun 10, 2025 | 8:48 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 10, 2025 | 8:48 AM
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Saidulu Adavath was later admitted with injuries to his hands and legs, and chest pain.
Synopsis: A deadly stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations on 4 June left 11 dead and over 50 injured outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium, but the swift, unauthorised action of Deputy Commissioner of Police Saidulu Adavath and two colleagues helped avert a far greater tragedy. As security preparations failed and reinforcements were delayed, the trio stepped in to open gates, rescue trapped fans, and manage the panicked crowd using only their instincts.
When the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title celebrations turned deadly outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on 4 June, the initial response to the stampede came not from a team of officials, but from three policemen, acting on their own – a senior IPS officer, his gunman and a local assistant sub-inspector.
Eyewitnesses, stadium officials, and volunteers told South First that Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Saidulu Adavath, his gunman Abhilash, with help from a local an Assistant Sub-Inspector, helped contain the tragedy that took the lives of 11 people and left over 50 others injured.
While official inquiries are underway into the systematic failures that led to the incident – triggered by a surge of an estimated 2.5 lakh fans amid scant security and poor preparation – the government has suspended five police officials who had direct jurisdiction over the event, accusing them of ‘dereliction of duty’.
Yet, it was officers Adavath and his colleagues, who put themselves in harm’s to save fans stuck in the crush.
According to senior KSCA members and volunteers present that evening, the duo had arrived early but were caught in traffic near Queen’s Road, not far from Gate 17, when the situation spiralled out of control.
A sudden surge near the gates left many trapped, gasping for breath, and some crushed underfoot.
“There was no police deployment visible at the spot yet. Suddenly, this officer stepped out of his vehicle with a laathi and began clearing the path. Within minutes, he was in the thick of the crowd,” a volunteer told South First.
Stadium security staff said the officer asked why the gates were not being opened, and was told they had received no instructions to do so.
“He said, ‘People are dying outside – open the gates now!’ and forced them open,” said a volunteer.
With the help of his gunman Abhilash and an Assistant Sub-Inspector, Deputy Commissioner Saidulu Adavath began pulling people out of the crush.
Some were unconscious, others were screaming for help. “He carried people with his own hands into the stadium. Then went back for more,” a volunteer said.
One eyewitness, a shopkeeper near the stadium, described seeing the officer being pulled down into the crowd. “He fell, people collapsed on him. We thought he wouldn’t get up. But he did. And kept going.”
Laathi in hand, the officer is seen in footage from the scene pushing back the incoming crowd to create space.
“He kept shouting, ‘Give space, give space!’ He didn’t panic. He didn’t stop. He was coordinating with private security, pulling people in, giving water, and even trying CPR,” another witness told South First.
By the time reinforcements arrived – delayed by traffic congestion – the officer had already spent over an hour managing the crisis on his own.
Stadium officials said the officer left the site only after ensuring the team buses carrying players had safely exited the premises.
“He was still doing crowd control when the buses arrived. Only after the players had left did he return home – and only then went to the hospital,” said a senior official involved in the planning.
He was later admitted with injuries to his hands and legs. A cardiac scan revealed irregularities in his ECG, necessitating overnight observation. He returned to duty just a few days later.
While the exact number of people the officer helped is difficult to confirm, multiple eyewitnesses estimate it could be in the dozens.
“Had he not acted when he did, we might have seen 50 or more deaths that day,” said a senior KSCA figure.
With multiple inquiries now underway and accountability being fixed at various levels, those who witnessed the incident quietly acknowledge the officer’s intervention as a turning point.
“He didn’t wait for orders. He didn’t wait for backup. He didn’t even wait for protective gear. Just a laathi in hand, and his instincts. That saved lives,” said one stadium volunteer who was present throughout.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
