Udupi: Rolan Gomes from Shirva, Udupi district, expressed surprise after discovering that his name had been used as the complainant in the FIR concerning the stampede during RCB’s victory celebration in Bengaluru. “I never lodged any formal complaint and was unaware a case had been registered under my name,” Gomes told Daijiworld on June 7.
Gomes, who has been working in an IT firm in Bengaluru for the past few years, sustained injuries during the incident. He said police recorded his statement while he was receiving treatment in a private hospital but never informed him it would be used to file a case. “My personal information and contact number were disclosed without permission,” he added.
An ardent cricket enthusiast since India’s 2011 World Cup win, Gomes had eagerly attended the RCB celebration at M Chinnaswamy Stadium with three friends. They arrived at 2 pm for the 5 pm event, only to find closed gates and no crowd control measures in place.
“At around 3:30 pm, an announcement mentioned free entry passes on RCB’s website, but due to poor internet, most couldn’t access it. Later, they allowed entry without tickets. That triggered panic as everyone rushed in simultaneously,” he recalled.
Gomes and his friends tried to leave but got trapped in the crowd crush. He injured his leg while helping a friend who fell. He eventually blacked out due to suffocation.
He believes over 2–3 lakh people had gathered in a space meant for far fewer, calling it a systemic failure by both organizers and the public.
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