An FIR was registered against the Royal Challengers Bangalore cricket team and several other entities on Thursday evening following a stampede that left 11 dead and dozens injured. The IPL franchise has also come under scrutiny for its social media post heralding a ‘victory march’ offer of free online passes to the celebrations. Lawyers for the state told Karnataka High Court earlier in the day that around 2.5 lakh people had gathered in the area — which had a 34,000 seat capacity.
Is RCB culpable?
The FIR filed on Thursday lists RCB as the first accused while the event management firm (DNA entertainment) was listed as accused number two. The Karnataka State Cricket Association Administrative Committee has been named as the third accused. The case has also been transferred to the criminal investigation department for inquiry.
According to a Times Now report, the Bengaluru police were placed in an awkward spot on Wednesday after the team management made its announcement via social media without securing any formal permissions. The message was circulated widely and created public expectations — with a parade bus being arranged despite a police statement denying permission for the event. Sources told the publication that RCB’s only formal communication came through the Karnataka State Cricket Association on the day of the match. The police had reportedly advised against holding the event for a few days in order to reduce the ongoing fan frenzy and enable better crowd control.
The situation became even more complex after the state government announced a separate felicitation ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha. The cricket team had subsequently announced that the victory parade would begin from this area. The dual celebrations also strained security arrangements as massive crowds gathered at both the Vidhana Soudha and Chnnaswamy Stadium — causing major crowd management issues.
What caused the stampede?
Eleven people died and more than 30 were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium as a massive crowd gathered to witness the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. According to reports, the chaos was sparked by rumours that free passes were being distributed at Gate Number 7. This prompted a massive surge in fans attempting to enter the stadium and the area soon became the epicenter of widespread panic. The situation worsened around 5:30 pm on Wednesday as a sudden spell of rain added to the chaos and discomfort.
The stadium (which has 13 gates and 21 stands) saw the highest concentration of fans around Gates 5,6,7, 19 and 20 which are located along the main entry route for the team. Most of the victims — including young students — were trampled upon or suffocated after getting caught in the uncontrollable and ever-increasing crowd.