BENGALURU | September 8, 2026 — Walkers and regular visitors to Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park have urged the horticulture department to establish a health centre and first-aid facilities inside the park after a Central Excise officer died following a heart attack during a run on September 6.
The demand was raised by S. Umesh, president of the Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association, who said the park receives thousands of walkers and visitors each day but does not have an on-site facility to provide immediate medical assistance during emergencies.
Girish Anantha Murthy, a Central Excise officer, was participating in the Wipro Pre Run organised at Cubbon Park when he suffered a heart attack and died, according to the report. Umesh said people present at the event believed that quicker access to treatment could have affected the outcome. The report does not include an official medical statement or a response from the horticulture department on the death.
“Although there are hospitals around the park, quick treatment is very valuable during an emergency. Therefore, a health centre should be opened near the Central Public Library or at another suitable location,” Umesh said, according to Vijay Karnataka.
The association has also sought first-aid boxes at selected locations across the park. Umesh said visitors could suffer injuries from snake or dog bites, falling trees or branches, or falls while walking or running. He said basic first-aid access would be necessary in such situations before patients could be taken to a hospital.
Cubbon Park’s size, daily footfall and use for walking, running and public events make emergency response a recurring operational concern, although the report does not provide official figures on visitor numbers, response times or the distance to nearby hospitals. It also does not specify how many first-aid stations would be required or which agency would operate a proposed health centre.
The walkers’ association raised additional concerns about park security and access controls. Umesh alleged that the park’s entrance gates remain open after the reported 10 p.m. closing time to allow club members to enter and leave. He also alleged that closed-circuit cameras are switched off on weekends and that some security personnel have remained at the park for about a decade despite changes in the security agency.
Umesh further alleged that vendors become more prominent in the park on weekends and charge high prices for snacks, while claiming that horticulture department officials have not taken adequate action. These allegations were not accompanied by an official response in the report.
The association has called on the horticulture department to consider a health centre, install first-aid boxes and take action on the security and vending concerns. The report does not state whether the department has accepted the demands or announced a timeline for any measures.
