Accountability must be fixed for Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede

Bengaluru: In a decisive move, the Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 3, which claimed 11 young lives. The incident occurred during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL victory and has raised serious questions over event planning, crowd control, and institutional accountability.

The Division Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice CM Joshi, has directed the State Government to submit a comprehensive status report by June 10. The court has sought answers to a series of critical questions regarding permissions, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for crowd management, and medical emergency readiness.

Crowd swells beyond control

While the stadium’s official capacity is 30,000, over 3 lakh people reportedly gathered near the venue following public announcements of free entry. The unanticipated surge, combined with a lack of proper access regulation, led to chaos, injuries, and ultimately a fatal stampede.

Most tragically, the deceased were young — many under 30 — including college students, civil engineers, and chartered accountants who had just begun their professional journeys. The grief-stricken families have demanded strict accountability and justice for what they describe as a preventable tragedy.

Government response and judicial probe

In the wake of mounting public outrage, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah swiftly suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda and other senior officials in the jurisdiction. A judicial inquiry led by retired Karnataka High Court Judge Justice Michael D’Cunha has been ordered. Known for his landmark conviction of Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa in 2014, Justice D’Cunha’s appointment signals a serious intent to probe the matter independently.

The Cabinet has also approved a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inquiry, with a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to pursue the case. The FIR, filed by Cubbon Park Police (Crime No. 123/2025), names RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment Pvt Ltd (event managers), and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including culpable homicide and public endangerment.

FIR details emerge

According to the FIR, plans for the victory celebration were discussed as early as 6 pm on June 3 — before the IPL final even began. Despite police objections, announcements about free public entry were circulated, leading to massive overcrowding. The gates were shut by 3:10 pm, even as fans tried to force their way in. The first fatality was reported hours before the programme inside the stadium began at 5:45 pm.

The FIR accuses the organisers of failing to make timely decisions regarding stadium entry, resulting in confusion, barricade breaches, and police-fan clashes. It also cites insufficient deployment of senior officers, lack of adequate medical aid, and a failure to heed police advisories.

Unanswered questions

The court and public alike are demanding answers to several key issues:

• Who authorised back-to-back celebrations at Vidhana Soudha and Chinnaswamy Stadium?

These and 20 other questions are part of the court’s nine-point directive for the government to address in its status report.

Time for justice, not politics

CM Siddaramaiah has urged political parties to avoid point-scoring, calling for collective mourning and judicial action. Public sentiment echoes this stance, with calls for swift accountability and policy reforms to prevent such tragedies.

While no inquiry or compensation can replace the lost lives, fixing institutional responsibility and punishing negligence is vital. The tragedy has spotlighted glaring failures in public safety protocols and highlighted the urgent need for better coordination between civic bodies, law enforcement, and event organisers.