Karnataka Government Blames RCB for Bengaluru Stampede

The Karnataka government has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) management responsible for the stampede that occurred outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which left 11 people dead and over 50 injured.

Report Findings

• RCB management, DNA Networks, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) were responsible for organizing the event without proper clearances.
• RCB went ahead with the parade despite rejection from the police.
• The report states that there was no formal request for permission from the organizers, nor were the required information and details provided.

Sequence of Events

• On June 3, KSCA CEO Subhendu Ghosh informed the Cubbon Park police about the planned parade, but the police rejected the proposal due to insufficient details and short notice.
• Despite this, RCB posted invites on social media at 7:01 am on June 4, calling fans to gather for a victory parade.
• The report notes that posts, including a video of Virat Kohli asking fans to join the celebration, led to massive online engagement and congregations of unimaginable proportions.

Crowd Control Issues

• The estimated gathering size was well beyond 3,00,000 individuals, far exceeding the stadium's capacity of 35,000.
• The report highlights that crowd control was left to the police just hours before the event, and several gates witnessed heavy overcrowding and breakdowns in security.

Government's Stance

• The government has challenged the Central Administrative Tribunal's order that revoked the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar and four others, arguing that the officers failed to take preventive action.
• The CID investigation is in its final stages, with senior officials from RCB and DNA Networks having recorded their statements.