A day after a tragic stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium left 11 people dead and over 50 injured in Bengaluru, the Karnataka High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and directed the State Government to file a detailed status report by June 10. In response, the Government informed the court on Thursday that the case has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Further a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be constituted for a thorough and independent probe, the State informed the court.
According to the police, an FIR was registered at Cubbon Park police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115, 118, 121, 132, 125(12), and 190. The accused named in the FIR include the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise, DNA Entertainment Pvt Ltd, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association Administrative Committee.
The FIR, filed following a complaint by a police inspector, outlines the role of each accused in organising the felicitation ceremony held on June 4, a day after an IPL match, to celebrate RCB’s performance. The event drew an unexpectedly massive crowd of over 2.5 lakh people to a stadium with a capacity of just 35,000. The overwhelming turnout, coupled with miscommunication and distribution of free passes, sparked chaos and led to a deadly stampede.
Initial findings suggest that confusion over a planned Victory Parade exacerbated the situation. While Bengaluru traffic police clarified at 11.56 am on June 4 that only a felicitation event would be held, the RCB management posted on social media around 3.14 pm that a parade would commence at 5 pm, followed by celebrations inside the stadium. Free passes were issued online, leading thousands without tickets to swarm the venue.
Eyewitnesses and police sources reported that fans without tickets attempted to force entry alongside those with valid passes. As crowd increased near key gates people began scaling fences, breaking barriers, and pushing through checkpoints. Several individuals fell and were trampled in the ensuing panic.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that most of the deceased were young men and women, many of them students. “The match was the previous evening. No one expected such a massive turnout. Even the cricket association didn’t anticipate this,” he said. He added that a magisterial inquiry led by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha will be completed within 15 days to ascertain administrative lapses.
The Government has announced Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia compensation for the families of the deceased and full medical coverage for the injured. The KSCA has pledged an additional Rs 5 lakh per family. Of the 56 injured, 50 were treated as outpatients and discharged, while six remain under medical care.
In anticipation of large crowds, the Bengaluru city police had deployed 1,380 personnel, including senior officers, 13 KSRP platoons, and emergency services such as ambulances, fire engines, and SWAT units. However, the sheer volume of people, estimated at 2-3 lakh within a one-kilometre radius, overwhelmed the arrangements.
Metro authorities temporarily closed nearby Cubbon Park and Dr BR Ambedkar stations due to heavy footfall, while visuals showed police resorting to mild force, including lathi charges, to manage the crowd.