BENGALURU STAMPEDE
The Karnataka government has held RCB management responsible for the stampede © Getty
Government’s Findings
The Karnataka government has officially attributed responsibility for the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which resulted in 11 fatalities and over 50 injuries, to the management of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This conclusion was outlined in a status report released on July 17, following a directive from the Karnataka High Court.
Event Organization Issues
The report also implicates DNA Networks, RCB’s event partner, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for inadequately organizing the event, failing to secure necessary clearances, and proceeding with the parade despite police disapproval.
Permission Failures
According to the report, the organizers did not submit a formal permission request, which prevented the authorities from considering their application. The police had rejected KSCA’s parade proposal, highlighting a lack of sufficient details and short notice ahead of the event.
Crowd Engagement and Size
The report indicates that RCB’s social media campaign, including a motivational message from Virat Kohli, led to extraordinary public interest, resulting in crowd estimates exceeding 300,000. This number was corroborated by BMRCL ridership data, which showed unusually high transit usage on that day.
Chaos on Event Day
On June 4, a sudden influx of fans around the stadium created a bottleneck, as posts claimed free entry, which led to significant confusion. It wasn’t until later that RCB clarified that entry would require limited pass access, exacerbating the commotion among the already agitated crowd.
Insufficient Planning and Security Measures
The government also pointed out that the organizers did not seek any licenses under the relevant legal orders, and critical arrangements for crowd control were inadequately managed just hours before the event, leading to severe overcrowding at various entry points.
Ongoing Investigations
The CID’s investigation is nearing completion, with statements collected from senior officials at RCB and DNA Networks. However, no timeline has been established for a final judgment on the matter.
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