Major Security Breach At Chinnaswamy Stadium: 240+ CCTV Cameras Disabled After Angry Workers Cut Fibre Cables Before RCB Match

On April 24 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, just hours before an IPL game between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Gujarat Titans, a serious security incident involving two men cutting optical fiber cables connecting over 240 CCTV cameras occurred. The disturbance of these cameras greatly affected the police’s capability to monitor large crowds during sporting events.

Police say the cutting of the cables was done out of frustration due to unpaid bills. This act of criminal conduct undermined important police/security infrastructure at the stadium and raised fears about how vulnerable high-profile facilities can be. Following the stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium last year (June 4th), police had relied heavily on these systems and AI-based crowd control tools to maintain public safety.

Chinnaswamy Stadium: CCTV network sabotaged ahead of IPL match

Reports say that Cubbon Park Police have filed an FIR against the two suspects identified as Manjunath E, 37, from Chitradurga and Abdul Kalam, 19, from Uttar Pradesh. Both suspects were present at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and cut the fiber cables connecting the CCTV surveillance system.

The complaint against the two suspects was made by Aditya Bhat of Staqu Technologies, the company responsible for providing AI-based surveillance solutions during the matches. On the morning of April 24, just before the match, the Staqu technologies team completed an inspection, which revealed that over 240 cameras were not operational.

Chinnaswamy Stadium: Accused entered without passes, damaged systems

An additional investigation determined that the accused were working for IVS Digital Solutions, a subcontractor, when they gained entry into Chinnaswamy Stadium at approximately 11:30 am without valid credentials by utilizing deactivated, but accessible, cards.

As per reports, once they were inside the stadium, they were reported to have tampered with and damaged NVRs (Network Video Recorders) and fibre optics. This caused total disruption and destruction to the entire operational infrastructure. Subsequent actions of the suspects at the stadium by other CCTV cameras showed these actions occurred.

Chinnaswamy Stadium: Accused entered without passes, damaged systems

According to the FIR, the suspects were seen entering the CCTV control area without proper authorisation and approaching electrical equipment within a junction box near the parking lot. In this instance, they reportedly damaged the fibre optics.

As a result of the foregoing actions by the suspects, no cameras were operational in the critical areas of entry gates, perimeter areas, the D corporate stand, and the concourse. Therefore, the company that provided the police with video surveillance systems was unable to do so during such a crucial time period, before the match.

Chinnaswamy Stadium: Motive linked to unpaid dues, police action taken

There are reported motives for the acts attributed to the suspects that involve unpaid invoices. As a result of the indicted acts, a senior police official confirmed that a criminal case has been filed under BNS Section 324(4) for mischief against the two suspects. Both suspects are currently in the custody of law enforcement agencies.

As per reports police said that during interrogating the suspects, it seems that they claimed they had done installation, cables, and other kinds of CCTV-related work at the stadium and have not been compensated even after repeatedly requesting their payment through different channels. An officer said that the lack of response from the company frustrated Manjunath and Kalam and determined their intentional wrongdoing.

Chinnaswamy Stadium: Systems restored, police say operations unaffected

While the damage occurred earlier in the morning, the wires were repaired and the cameras operational again prior to the match start time according to police. While these events resulted in some disruption to services, police indicate that there will be no impact on overall stadium operations.

This incident has brought to light an excellent deal of concerns regarding how security is managed at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, particularly during high-profile events such as IPL matches. Looking ahead, officials will likely examine systems related to access control and vendor management practices to avoid similar future failures.

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