The Karnataka government on Thursday defended its decision to suspend IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash before the High Court, stating that he and his team behaved as though they were “servants of RCB” while organising the IPL victory celebrations. The state argued that their actions during the event preparations led to a deadly stampede, which resulted in 11 deaths and left 33 people injured.
The Karnataka government has told the High Court that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and its event partners are responsible for the stampede that took place outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. The stampede had occurred during RCB’s IPL victory celebration which led to the deaths of 11 people and injuries to several others.
The state’s report also mentioned a public appeal video by cricketer Virat Kohli inviting fans to attend the free-entry event. The government said this video played a big role in drawing a massive crowd, despite the police having denied permission for the celebration.
Key Highlights from Karnataka government’s report
– The organisers, DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, had only informed the police about the IPL event on June 3 but did not seek formal approval, as required under a 2009 city order. As a result, police had clearly refused to allow the gathering. Still, RCB continued with promotional activities, including public invitations shared online on June 4.
Last-minute led to pani
More than 3 lakh people reportedly turned up, which was far more than expected. Confusion increased when organisers suddenly announced at 3:14 pm that passes were needed to enter the stadium, which contradicted earlier messages that said entry was free. This change at the last-minute led to panic in the crowd.
– The report said that RCB, Karnataka State Cricket Association, and the DNA Entertainment failed to coordinate and manage the crowd properly. Delays in opening the gates and poor planning led to chaos which eventually turned into a stampede. Seven police officers were injured in the rush. Police later allowed a smaller version of the event to prevent further problems.
– The state government also outlined the steps taken after the incident. These include magisterial and judicial inquiries, registration of FIRs, suspension of the Chief Minister’s political secretary, transfer of the intelligence chief, and disciplinary action against police staff. Compensation has also been announced for victims and their families.
The High Court rejected the government’s request to keep the report confidential, saying there was no legal reason to do so.