In the aftermath of the heart-wrenching stampede that took place outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, claiming 11 lives and injuring many, fresh documents have surfaced that shed new light on the administrative chain leading up to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations.
A key letter, dated June 3, has emerged, revealing that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had officially reached out to the state government, seeking approval for a felicitation ceremony in the event of an RCB title win. Addressed to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the letter outlined KSCA’s involvement in facilitating the celebration arrangements at the Vidhana Soudha.
The formal event held on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha went off without a hitch, providing dignified recognition of RCB’s historic maiden IPL triumph. However, the situation spiralled out of control outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where lakhs of fans, responding to a social media call from the franchise, gathered in unmanageable numbers. What began as a celebration quickly turned into a calamity.
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Following the stampede, an FIR was lodged against several senior KSCA officials, including President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A. Shankar, and Treasurer E.S. Jairam. In response, KSCA filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court, arguing that their role was limited to logistical support and the facilitation of official permissions, not event execution or crowd control.
The RCB celebration event held at Vidhana Soudha was organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association, yet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah misled the people of Karnataka by claiming it was a government-organised function. It is evident that the CM is attempting to shield those… pic.twitter.com/T3HynMYwQP
— Girish Bharadwaj (@Girishvhp) June 6, 2025
According to the KSCA’s court filing, the operational responsibility for the celebration, particularly outside the stadium, rested solely with the RCB franchise and its event management partner, DNA Entertainment Networks. The letter submitted in court makes this distinction clear, stating that while KSCA helped secure government clearances, gate management and security were to be handled by RCB and DNA under police oversight.
Importantly, the court acknowledged the complexity of the situation. During an urgent hearing, it restrained the Bengaluru police from taking immediate action against KSCA officials and directed the state government to submit a detailed report by June 10. The court also noted that the FIR appeared to have been registered under “intense pressure” and without a preliminary inquiry.
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While the Vidhana Soudha celebration remained under control, the tragedy at the stadium gate highlighted a major failure in event planning and crowd control—areas that, as the KSCA maintains, were never under its purview. The matter will be reviewed again in court on June 16, as the cricketing world awaits answers and accountability.
