Karnataka govt blames RCB for Bengaluru stampede, cites safety lapses

The Karnataka government has held the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) responsible for the deadly stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead and over 50 injured, stating in its report to the High Court that the franchise organised the victory parade "unilaterally" and without prior police permission.

The report, which the government initially wanted sealed, was made public after the High Court ruled there was no legal basis to keep it confidential. It highlights a series of lapses by RCB and its organisers, including social media posts that misled fans about entry protocols, resulting in chaotic crowd surges.

'Intimation, Not Permission'

According to NDTV, the report states that RCB merely informed the police about a potential victory parade on June 3, the day the team won the IPL title after 18 years, instead of submitting a formal request as required by law.

"No application in the prescribed format was submitted," it reads. As a result, Cubbon Park Police Station denied permission on the grounds that there was no information on crowd size, logistics, or safety planning.

Despite this, RCB went ahead.

Parade announced on social media, Virat Kohli Featured

The franchise posted an open invitation for fans at 7:01 am on June 4 via social media, declaring free public entry for the victory parade.

Another post followed at 8 am. At 8:55 am, a video of Virat Kohli was posted on RCB’s official handle, inviting fans to celebrate with the team. "Subsequently, on 04.06.2025, at 8:55 am, the RCB shared a video clip of Mr. Virat Kohli, a prominent player of the RCB team, on RCB's official handle @Rcbtweets on X, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate this victory with the people of Bengaluru city and RCB fans on 04.06.2025 in Bengaluru," the report says.

A final update at 3:14 pm, just 90 minutes before the event began, clarified for the first time that limited passes were required, contradicting earlier posts. This late clarification, the report notes, led to confusion and contributed to crowd unrest.

Crowd swells to 3 Lakh, chaos unleashed

The report further stated that the posts amassed 44 lakh views, and over 3 lakh fans thronged the parade route and stadium area. Metro ridership surged to 9.66 lakh, well above the daily average of 6 lakh.

Fans also crowded along the 14-km stretch from HAL Airport to Taj West End hotel, where the team was staying, severely straining police resources. The stadium’s capacity was only 35,000, creating a dangerous bottleneck at entry gates.

Stampede at multiple gates, Police respond

As gates remained closed and the crowd swelled, stampedes broke out at 10 different gates, including Nos. 1, 2, and 21, which were broken open by desperate fans. The police responded quickly to control the situation, but the report blames RCB and co-organisers for the gate mismanagement.

Event Not Cancelled to Avoid Riot

Authorities decided not to cancel the parade despite the unfolding crisis. The report says this was a tactical move to prevent widespread riots. The event was allowed to proceed with a shortened duration and tightened monitoring to avoid inciting violence.