The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stepped in following the tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru linked to Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The incident, which took place on June 4 outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, claimed 11 lives and has now cast a shadow over RCB’s recent IPL 2025 title triumph.
In a significant development, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has officially held the RCB franchise responsible for the crowd mismanagement that led to the disaster. Alongside this, CAT overturned the suspension of senior IPS officer Vikas Kumar, who was initially blamed by the Karnataka government in the aftermath of the incident. CAT stated that Kumar had been unfairly targeted and that the responsibility lay elsewhere.
Following the tribunal’s verdict, the BCCI’s Ombudsman and Ethics Officer, Justice (Retd) Arun Mishra, has demanded written explanations from both RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). This follows a formal complaint lodged by Kumar, who accused the franchise and the local cricket board of gross negligence in crowd control and safety arrangements.
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The complaint alleges that RCB and KSCA failed to enforce basic crowd management protocols, which ultimately resulted in the deadly stampede. Both parties have been granted four weeks to respond, and the Ombudsman has also given Vikas Kumar a ten-day window to file a rejoinder after receiving the responses.
Complaint to BCCI filed by senior IPS officer Vikas Kumar https://t.co/Geyfo3GJvs
— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) July 2, 2025
Crucially, the complaint has also requested a freeze on any potential sale of the RCB franchise until the investigation is complete. With speculation mounting over the current owners exploring a sale, the complainant has urged the BCCI to ensure that no transactional developments interfere with accountability or the integrity of the ongoing probe.
Justice Mishra, in his directive, wrote: “Considering the gravity of the incident, both the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the concerned franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore are hereby asked to submit written replies to the complaint concerning the stampede on 04.06.2025.”
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The directive added that the complaint seeks not only suspension of the RCB franchise but also immediate intervention to prevent any change in ownership, citing concerns over tampering with evidence or compromising transparency during the investigation. The matter now awaits the responses from both RCB and KSCA, as cricket’s governing body in India takes a closer look at one of the IPL’s darkest off-field chapters.
