Stadium stampede: Govt report blames RCB, DNA Networks, KSCA

Hans India

11 hours ago

Bengaluru: The government has blamed IPL franchisee RCB, its event management partner, and the state cricket association for ignoring standard procedures and safety measures, leading to a stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others last month.
In its status report on the June 4 stampede near the M Chinnaswamy stadium that was submitted to the Karnataka High Court, the state government said RCB, its event management partner, and the state cricket association unilaterally organised the team's massive victory parade and celebration without prior permission or furnishing mandatory details to the authorities.
The report has been submitted to the High Court. The report emphasised that the organisers never formally sought police permission in the prescribed format as mandated by the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009.
It clarified that merely submitting an intimation does not amount to seeking permission, particularly for events involving large public gatherings in central Bengaluru. According to the report, at about 6.30 pm, just hours before the IPL final between RCB and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad, the Karnataka State Cricket Association, on behalf of DNA Networks Pvt Ltd, RCB's event management partner, submitted a letter of intimation to the Cubbon Park police station here.
'Should RCB emerge victorious in the tournament, the management of RCB/DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited intends to plan potential victory parades around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, culminating in victory celebrations at the stadium. This was in the nature of an intimation, not a requisition for permission as required under the law,' the report said.
However, the police denied permission due to the lack of critical information, including projected crowd size, event logistics, and crowd control measures. The proposal was also made on short notice, which precluded due processing.
Despite this, RCB unilaterally proceeded on June 4, announcing a public 'Victory Parade' from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium via multiple social media posts starting at 7.01 am. A final post at 3.14 pm announced that the parade would begin at 5.00 pm and would be followed by stadium celebrations. This post was the first to mention that free passes were available online, but it came after large crowds had already started gathering.
The posts garnered widespread attention, with the first four updates accumulating viewership figures of 16 lakh, 4.26 lakh, 7.6 lakh, and 17 lakh, respectively. This crowd estimate is supported by BMRCL ridership on June 4, which saw 9.66 lakh commuters compared to a daily average of six lakh. 'Therefore, including those who travelled on foot, used public transport, and private means on June 4, the estimated gathering would be well beyond three lakh individuals,' the statement said.
Authorities claimed that the essential details, such as the number of participants, assembly point, timing, names and contact details of responsible organisers, and plans for traffic and crowd control, were entirely missing. This lack of information prevented police from assessing the event's scale or planning adequate safety measures.
Furthermore, there was no signage or loudspeakers for public instructions, no trained staff for crowd management at entry gates and within seating areas, and no prior request for loudspeaker use or police bandobast. The organisers also failed to pay for police deployment, as mandated by the Government Order dated May 22, 2019, the report said.
Despite the absence of coordination or approvals, the Bengaluru city police implemented multiple measures to manage the situation on the ground. A meeting was convened at 10 am on June 4 at the office of the Joint Commissioner of Police, where traffic and law enforcement planning was finalised.
A total of 654 traffic personnel were deployed, including 4 DCPs, 6 ACPs, 23 PIs, 57 PSIs, 104 ASIs, and 462 constables. The route taken by the RCB team, from HAL to Taj West End, Vidhana Soudha, and finally Chinnaswamy Stadium, was regulated to minimise disruption.
A traffic advisory and map were released through the press, social media, and FM radio, advising the public to avoid central areas and use Metro or other public transport due to limited parking. Nine diversion points were created, and 125 barricades were installed, with an additional 11 barricading zones added as a precaution. Local schools were requested to close by noon.
BMTC deployed its Sarathi teams, and the E-Path app was activated for ambulance management. A dedicated control room monitored traffic movements throughout the event.
Eight major sectors were identified where police personnel were stationed to regulate and manage the public. Their failure to obtain permission and coordinate with authorities ahead of time left the city administration with no option but to respond reactively to an event that had already gained momentum through social media mobilisation.
'Recognising the need for accountability within the law enforcement hierarchy, the government took action against police officials on June 5, 2025' and suspended five police officers, including three IPS officers of significant rank: the Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, alongside the Assistant Commissioner of Police for Cubbon Park and the Police Inspector of Cubbon Park, the report said.