Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to annul the criminal charges filed against it in connection with the June 4 stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives.
The event organiser, DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, also submitted a separate petition challenging the FIR, asserting that the police’s failure in crowd regulation caused the disaster.
Royal Challengers Sports Limited (RCSL), which owns the RCB franchise, claimed in its plea that the team had been wrongfully accused. It said that social media advisories were shared in advance, clearly stating that only registered fans would receive passes and that their availability was limited.
RCSL further pointed out that the stadium gates, scheduled to open at 1:45 pm, were instead opened around 3 pm, allegedly causing tension and chaos among the waiting crowd. DNA Networks echoed this argument, blaming police shortcomings for the tragedy.
The Karnataka High Court is slated to hear both petitions later on Monday.
The stampede occurred just hours after the RCB team was felicitated by the state government at the Vidhana Soudha for winning their first IPL title.
Following the incident, five police officers were suspended, and the intelligence chief and CM’s political secretary were replaced. A retired HC judge has been appointed to lead a one-man inquiry commission into the tragedy.
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