The tragic stampede in Bengaluru on Wednesday, during celebrations for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory, has resulted in severe repercussions, with the Bengaluru Police filing a suo moto First Information Report (FIR) against RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and DNA Entertainment. The FIR highlights potential mismanagement and negligence as factors contributing to the disaster that claimed 11 lives and injured dozens more.
DNA Entertainment was responsible for managing RCB's victory celebrations, while the KSCA organized the event, according to government sources. The police case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 105, which deals with culpable homicide. The gravity of the situation has prompted discussions within the state government about potentially handing over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
In addition to the FIR, District Magistrate G. Jagadeesha, appointed by the Karnataka government to investigate the incident, has announced that notices will be sent to KSCA, Bengaluru Metro, and RCB. Jagadeesha visited the Chinnaswamy Stadium to inspect the areas where overcrowding occurred, leading to the stampede. He plans to analyze CCTV footage and gather statements from the families of the deceased and injured, as well as police officers deployed during the event. The general public is also invited to provide statements on June 13. A report is expected to be submitted to the state government within 15 days.
The Karnataka government has distanced itself from the event's organization, with Home Minister G. Parameshwara stating that the decision to bring the players to Bengaluru for victory celebrations was made by the KSCA and RCB, not the state government. He acknowledged the government's intention to felicitate the players but emphasized that the organization of the event was not initiated by them.
Political reactions have been strong, with the BJP demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that their internal conflicts led to a "government-manufactured stampede." BJP MP Sambit Patra criticized the state government's handling of the event, contrasting it with the well-managed gathering of 150,000 people at the IPL final in Ahmedabad.
RCB has announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the deceased. In a statement, the organization expressed their anguish and pain over the incident. The Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the stampede, registering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and scheduling a hearing to address the matter.
The FIR identifies RCB Franchise as accused 1, DNA Entertainment Private Limited as accused 2, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association Administrative Committee as accused 3. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, and acts endangering life or personal safety.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also weighed in, with state youth president Lohith Hanumapura submitting a complaint to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, demanding an FIR against the KSCA for alleged negligence, lack of crowd control, and mismanagement. He argued that the tragedy was avoidable if proper safety measures had been in place.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah admitted that the administration did not anticipate the massive crowd, estimating that 200,000 to 300,000 people gathered at the stadium, which has a capacity of only 35,000. This stark difference between the stadium's capacity and the actual crowd size underscores the severity of the mismanagement that contributed to the stampede.