2 firm staff sabotage 240+ CCTVs at M Chinnaswamy Stadium (File Photo)
BENGALURU: In a strange case, two employees of a digital service–providing private firm entered M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 24 and disabled around 240 CCTV cameras. They reportedly damaged NVR units and optical fiber connections, disrupting surveillance across entry gates, concourses, and other key areas.Soon after the disruption was noticed, the services were restored, and a case has been registered against the two accused, identified as Manjunath (37) and Abdul Kalam (19), employees of IVS Digital Solutions, at Cubbon Park police station. Further investigation is in progress.A high-voltage match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans took place at the stadium on April 24.According to the complaint filed by Aditya Bhat, an employee of Staqu Technologies Pvt.
Ltd., based in Gurugram, Haryana, a serious case of alleged sabotage has surfaced at the stadium, where over 240 CCTV cameras were found non-functional.A routine morning check revealed that cameras across critical zones, including entry gates, perimeter areas, the D Corporate Stand, and concourses, had gone offline. A deeper probe pointed to two individuals, Manjunath and Abdul Kalam, employees of IVS Digital Solutions.
The duo allegedly entered the stadium around 11:30 am using a deactivated access card and gained unauthorised entry into the CCTV control room. They deliberately damaged the NVR systems and optical fiber connections, including links from the server room to junction boxes near the parking area, effectively crippling the entire surveillance network between 11.30 am and 12.30 pm.Footage reportedly shows the accused accessing restricted areas and tampering with key infrastructure.
The disruption severely impacted real-time monitoring, leaving authorities without crucial CCTV feeds on match day.The complainant has termed the act as deliberate vandalism and has sought immediate legal action against those involved. Cubbon Park police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 324 (mischief).A senior officer said that during interrogation, the accused confessed that they had a payment issue with their employer and hence cut the wires of the server room and CCTV cameras.
RCB had given the contract to Staqu Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which had sub-leased the maintenance work to IVS Digital Solutions.The duo had valid access cards and entered the stadium using them. “The dispute between the two companies is not our concern, but why the wires were disconnected matters. The services were restored within 15 minutes after the incident came to our notice. There was no major breach during the match,” the officer said.Since the case is a bailable offence, the accused have been served notices. They will appear before the investigating officer today (Monday) and will be questioned in detail.The police have also booked seven cases against those selling tickets in black and those selling fake tickets.
