‘Stressed’ B’luru police worried about additional IPL duties

Bengaluru: Ten matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) are scheduled in Bengaluru between May 9 to May 22, and several officers in the Bengaluru police are not happy about the additional burden of providing security to the cricket league. With more than 700 policemen in isolation due to Covid and the police forces working overtime to enforce the lockdown, these officers feel setting aside more than 300 policemen for IPL duties would put pressure on the force.

A senior police officer on the condition of anonymity said that even though no crowd is allowed during the matches, protection of the stadium and players will still require security personnel. “We will have to secure all entry and exit points of the stadium, conduct sanitization of the stadium and provide escort for players and other staff, apart from security at the hotels,” said the officer.

Talking about the current deployment of the police in the city, an IPS officer said that while the normal duties such as manning a police station have come down, additional boots are required on the field. “We have to conduct patrols, man check posts, provide security to Covid centres and hospital. In fact, we have deployed home guards to make fill the gaps in the manpower,” the officer added.

The top brass of Bengaluru police, however, said they will fulfil the commitment of providing security, which was decided before the second wave. “As a professional force we will provide adequate security,” said Kamal Pant, Bengaluru police commissioner. “Unless the government decides otherwise, we will provide enough men to ensure that the Indian Premier League goes without any security hassle,” he added.

Talking about the security arrangements, Pant said that security will be provided at the hotels where the players say, an escort will be provided on the route of their travel and there will be deployment at the stadium. “Since there is no crowd, there will be only three categories of people. – players, support staff and organizers of the tournament. Only two gates will be left open because there is no crowd,” he added.

When asked about the reservations from his subordinates, he said that police will abide by the government’s decision.

A junior officer, however, added that as part of the security protocols ambulances will have to stationed at the stadium in the case of an emergency. “This is a time when we need all ambulances, we have for Covid patients. The contingency plans will also cater for oxygen supplies and other medical services for the players and others in case of an emergency during the tournament. Already there is news of some players catching the virus,” the officer detailed his concerns.

The officer added that Bengaluru police had refused to provide security for IPL in 2009 after the police department was stretched because of the Lok Sabha elections. At the same time, some officers within the department argued that the IPL is a good move since people would stay at home to watch the games, even after the lockdown is lifted.

On April 27, taking exception to the Indian Premier League being conducted at a time when the country is facing its worst Covid tragedy, Congress MLC Prakash K Rathod has sought the cancellation of the cricket tournament. In an open letter, the MLC has asked the State government to urge the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to cancel the games, and convert the Chinnaswamy stadium, located in the heart of the city, into a Covid Care Centre.

“It is surprising that KSCA has been adamant on hosting the IPL games in Bengaluru. Has KSCA forgotten that Bengaluru is number one in Covid cases in India? Can KSCA’s Chinnaswamy stadium not be converted into a huge Covid centre instead?” he asked.

When contacted a senior official of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) said that the tournament is being held with permissions from the required authorities. “The union home ministry has granted security clearance for the tournament and the state government after deliberations have agreed to provide security. There are strict safety protocols being followed and most importantly the matches are not open to crowds, this reduces the burden on security considerably,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.