Bengaluru, July 17: The Karnataka government has placed responsibility on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), its event partner DNA Networks, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for organizing the June 4 victory celebration at M Chinnaswamy Stadium without police consultation or approval, which led to a deadly stampede claiming 11 lives.
The findings, submitted in a sealed status report now made public following High Court orders in the suo motu PIL, reveal that the event was unilaterally planned and publicized across RCB’s official social media platforms—without obtaining the mandatory licences or informing police authorities in time.
According to the report, no formal requisition or details were submitted to relevant departments, violating the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009.
On June 4, a massive crowd of over 3 lakh people—including those on foot, using public transport, and private vehicles—began gathering at the stadium, largely in response to a video posted by Virat Kohli earlier that morning at 8:55 am. In the clip, shared on RCB’s official handle @RCBtweets, Kohli invited fans to join the team in celebrating their victory in Bengaluru that very day.
The state report notes that only at 3:14 pm, RCB and its partners issued their first clarification on social media, stating that entry to the event required free passes. This late announcement triggered confusion, anger, and crowd unrest, with thousands already at the venue hoping for entry.
The government also highlighted that the early RCB posts promoting the event went viral—with individual video views ranging from 4 lakh to over 17 lakh, intensifying the public response and contributing to the stampede.
Authorities have emphasized that the event organizers failed to follow basic crowd control protocols and bypassed all essential administrative processes, leading to a preventable tragedy.
The High Court is continuing to hear the matter. Further accountability and corrective measures are expected.
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