The Karnataka High Court has posed a series of critical questions to the state government regarding the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives during the felicitation ceremony for the IPL-winning Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team on Wednesday.
Taking up the matter suo motu, a division bench led by Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi issued nine questions to the government on Thursday, with a directive to submit responses by June 10. The questions centre around the decision-making process, permissions, crowd management, medical preparedness, and emergency response during the event.
Among the questions are:
- Who authorised the victory celebration, and how and when was this decision taken?
- Was any official permission secured for the event?
- Is there a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place for managing crowds exceeding 50,000 at such events?
- What measures were undertaken to manage traffic and the public?
- What medical arrangements were made at the venue?
- Was an estimate of the crowd size prepared beforehand?
- Were injured individuals provided immediate medical attention at the stadium, and if not, why?
- How quickly were the injured transported to hospitals?
The court’s intervention and the questions reportedly led to swift administrative action, including the suspension of five senior police officers, among them the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, following consultations between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, legal adviser A S Ponnana, and Advocate General K M Shashikiran Shetty.
Events Leading to the Tragedy
Documents and communications between the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the government, and the Bengaluru Police, along with social media timelines, offer insight into how the tragedy unfolded.
On June 3, the KSCA, via its CEO Shubhendu Ghosh and event management firm DNA Network, sought permission to felicitate the RCB players at the Vidhana Soudha in the event of an IPL win. The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) granted approval for the event on June 4, outlining 16 conditions.
Political sources suggest that Siddaramaiah’s political secretary, K Govindaraju, played a key role in influencing this decision. He was later removed from his post in the wake of the tragedy.
While the Vidhana Soudha event was approved, Bengaluru Police withheld permission for a victory parade to the Chinnaswamy Stadium due to concerns over crowd control. Nevertheless, the RCB management announced the parade early on June 4 through its social media channels, causing an unexpected surge of fans.
Later that morning, RCB and KSCA also circulated a media advisory detailing a parade and subsequent felicitation event at the stadium. Traffic advisories were issued by Bengaluru Police in the afternoon, but they made no mention of a parade.
The government has since stated that while the RCB CEO informed the police commissioner of the planned celebrations on June 3, police failed to provide a formal written rejection of the request, contributing to the chaotic situation.
Legal and Investigative Developments
Following the incident, the Cubbon Park police registered an FIR on June 5, citing charges of culpable homicide, causing voluntary hurt, and unlawful assembly against the RCB, KSCA, and DNA Network. Two arrests have been made: an RCB marketing head and a senior DNA official.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to three KSCA officials, including president and former cricketer Raghuram Bhat. The KSCA’s petition argues that the decision to celebrate the team’s victory originated from the state government, which hosted the initial event at the Vidhana Soudha.
Government Orders Probes
In response to public outrage and legal scrutiny, the Karnataka government has ordered multiple inquiries into the tragedy. A judicial commission led by retired High Court judge Justice John Michael Cunha will conduct an independent probe. Additionally, a magisterial inquiry led by the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru and a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe have been initiated.
The High Court’s questions, coupled with public and political pressure, are expected to bring greater accountability and transparency in understanding how the tragic events of June 4 unfolded.
