Post News Network
Bhubaneswar/ Cuttack, Oct 9: Home secretary Asit Tripathy Thursday began an administrative investigation into the Barabati fiasco, two days after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s order.
Spectators had hurled water bottles into the ground at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack during the India-South Africa T-20 cricket match Monday, disrupting the match for around 20 minutes.
“I am initiating investigation into the Barabati incident. I will examine the circumstances under which the spectators hurled bottles onto the ground thereby halting the match for a while. I will also recommend remedial measures so that such incidents are not repeated,” Thipathy told mediapersons here.
The home secretary would investigate who gave permission for bottles to be allowed in the stadium, whether or not the police was aware of it and what the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) guidelines say about it, sources said.
“We will provide information about the BCCI guidelines on holding such matches,” sports and youth affairs secretary Saswat Mishra said. Action would be taken on the basis of the home secretary’s report, Mishra said. “We will provide all information to the home secretary to help him in the investigation. Besides, if Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) files an FIR, we will investigate the matter,” said director general of police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik.
Commissionerate police had Wednesday registered a case suo motu over the incident. Cuttack DCP Sanjeev Arora had said that the investigation would be conducted after examining CCTV footage. Cantonment police in Cuttack Thursday wrote to the OCA secretary seeking CCTV footage of water bottles being hurled. Cantonment police had Wednesday registered two cases under various sections of IPC and Criminal Law Amendment Act in connection with the incident.
However, OCA will find it very difficult to collect the CCTV footage as most of the cameras fitted in the stadium were not operating during the match, according to sources. “As many as 100 CCTV cameras out of the total 150 installed in Barabati were not functioning. So, there is no guarantee that OCA has the CCTV footage of the water bottles being hurled,” \said a source.
“We are ready to submit the CCTV footage if the police ask us,” OCA secretary said.