Once a celebration, now a controversy — the Karnataka government has placed full responsibility on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives. During a High Court hearing, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty stated that no official permissions were obtained for the parade and blamed RCB for inviting masses via social media without proper entry details.
Shetty told the court that RCB, acting without lawful approvals, posted messages calling all fans to join the parade, despite the venue’s capacity being only 33,000. Instead, a crowd of 3.5 to 4 lakh gathered, leading to confusion, injuries, and fatalities.
He also claimed the organisers sent only an intimation letter—not a permission request—violating the requirement of advance licences. Despite claiming it was a government-backed event, the state clarified it was a private celebration by RCB, with an agreement between RCB and BCCI holding them accountable for security, ticketing, and gate control.
The Advocate General further accused RCB’s marketing head Nikhil Sosale of attempting to flee the country, citing late-night ticket bookings. He labelled the event “illegal,” alleging that it was staged for publicity and grossly mismanaged, lacking barriers, signage, or crowd control measures.
A CID probe is ongoing, with suspended officials replaced, as the state calls the tragedy a direct consequence of organiser negligence.
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