Who is Seemanth Kumar Singh? Bengaluru's new Police Commissioner takes charge post RCB stampede

Seemanth Kumar Singh, a 1996-batch IPS officer, has been appointed Bengaluru’s new Police Commissioner following the tragic RCB Victory Parade stampede. Known for his strong leadership, he faces the challenge of restoring public trust.

Bengaluru: In the wake of the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) victory celebrations that claimed 11 lives and left several injured, the Karnataka government has appointed Seemanth Kumar Singh, a seasoned IPS officer, as the new Bengaluru Police Commissioner. This high-level change comes shortly after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended four senior police officials, including the former Commissioner, DCP (Central), ACP, and Additional Commissioner (West).

Who Is Seemanth Kumar Singh?

Seemanth Kumar Singh is a 1996-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Karnataka cadre, known for his effective leadership and a no-nonsense approach to law enforcement.

• He previously served as the Commissioner of Police in Mangaluru, where he gained a reputation for handling communal tensions and sensitive law and order situations with firmness and tact.
• Before Mangaluru, Singh was posted as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Bellary, a district often in the spotlight due to political and mining-related controversies.
• He was later promoted to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and has held several key postings across Karnataka.
• In 2023, while serving as Additional Director General (ADG) in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), he was awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, one of the highest honours for police officers in India.

Singh takes charge of the Bengaluru Police during a moment of immense public outrage and grief. The city has been left shaken by the deadly stampede that occurred during the RCB victory celebration at Chinnaswamy Stadium, where 11 lives were lost and dozens were injured.

What’s next for Bengaluru? 

As Bengaluru’s 39th Police Commissioner, Seemanth Kumar Singh now faces the critical task of regaining public trust, tightening event security protocols, and bringing greater transparency to the city’s law enforcement systems.

Government cracks down on event organisers

In response to the tragedy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken strict action, ordering the arrest of event organisers, including officials from RCB, DNA Event Management, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) administrative committee. The decision comes amid mounting criticism over poor crowd control and lack of coordination.

The RCB stampede: What happened? 

On Wednesday night, a massive crowd gathered at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate RCB’s playoff victory. Due to severe crowd mismanagement and lack of proper police coordination, a stampede broke out, resulting in 11 confirmed deaths and multiple injuries. The incident has sparked widespread outrage across Karnataka, with questions raised about event planning, police preparedness, and safety protocols.

Following the incident, CM Siddaramaiah also ordered the arrest of representatives from RCB, DNA Event Management, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) administrative committee for negligence and violation of public safety norms.