Exclusive: Karnataka Cricket Body's Pre-Event Letter Reveals Government's Prior Knowledge Of RCB Victory Ceremony
An exclusive document obtained by India Today exposes that the Karnataka State Cricket Association contacted the state government one day before the tragic stampede, requesting authorization for a victory celebration at Vidhana Soudha in the event of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 triumph.
The correspondence, dated June 3 and delivered to government offices by 7:30 PM that evening, sought official clearance for DNA Entertainment Networks, an event management company, to organize the felicitation ceremony on the Grand Steps of Vidhana Soudha for June 4.
KSCA Chief Executive Officer Shubhendu Ghosh signed the communication addressed to the Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, explicitly identifying the distinguished guest list. The letter specifically mentioned that "the Honourable Chief Minister and the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister shall be gracing the occasion & felicitating the RCB Players & Support Staff."
The cricket association assured complete collaboration with authorities, stating that Ghosh should be contacted directly for any additional clarifications required by the DPAR office. This pre-planning contradicts subsequent claims about the spontaneous nature of the events.
Following the devastating stampede that killed eleven people and injured 56 others outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a press conference distancing the state government from the stadium event organization. He emphasized that KSCA, not the government, orchestrated the stadium ceremony.
"More than one lakh people gathered in front of the Vidhana Soudha, but thankfully, no untoward incident happened there. However, in the stadium, where the capacity is 35,000, around two to three lakh people turned up. This was entirely unexpected," Siddaramaiah explained to media representatives.
The Chief Minister clarified the government's involvement was restricted to granting necessary permissions and deploying security personnel. "We only gave permission and deployed the entire Bengaluru police force for security. The government did not host the stadium event," he declared.
However, the exclusive letter reveals advance coordination between KSCA and government authorities, including specific mention of both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister's participation as chief guests. The document shows the government had detailed advance notice of the celebration plans, raising questions about preparation and crowd management strategies.
The revelation adds a new dimension to the investigation into the preventable tragedy that occurred during what should have been a joyous celebration of RCB's maiden IPL championship victory.
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