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Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka cabinet accepts judicial panel report on RCB stampede
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday formally accepted the findings of a judicial commission that investigated the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade that killed 11 people and injured another 70 last month. On 4 June, following RCB's IPL win, a massive crowd of over 300,000 people gathered near and around Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for a victory parade and celebration. (PTI) The government said it is now preparing to initiate legal and departmental action against those held responsible for the tragedy, including senior police officials and top organisers of the event. 'The cabinet has decided to accept justice John Michael D'Cunha's report and take legal action on its basis,' Karnataka law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said. The cabinet note indicates that the action will be directed at individuals and private organisations involved in organising the June 4 event, including RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and DNA Entertainment Networks. Specific individuals were named in the note for action, including KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, former president A Shankar, former treasurer Jayaram ES, Rajesh Menon of RCB., and Venkata Vardhan of DNA Entertainment Networks, which managed the event. 'Action will be taken,' against them, the cabinet note said, without specifying the precise legal steps that will follow. The development comes days after the Karnataka government told the high court that its own police were at fault for the stampede, changing its previous position that the IPL franchise RCB was to blame. The state argued before a bench of Justices SG Pandit and TM Nadaf that the police should have formally objected to the event and that they should have refused to provide security for the event since no official permission was granted for it. The police reports to the state government. On 4 June, following RCB's IPL win, a massive crowd of over 300,000 people gathered near and around Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for a victory parade and celebration. As per the state, the stadium has a capacity of only 35,000. The report prepared by retired high court judge John Michael Cunha found that the organisers failed to obtain mandatory permissions and ignored safety protocols. It held Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd., DNA Entertainment Networks, and KSCA accountable for conducting the parade without requisite licenses or coordination with the police. 'The organisers were duty bound to obtain prior permission… but failed to obtain the requisite permission license [and] failed to follow the procedures,' the report said. Despite knowing the event was unauthorised, senior police officers allowed it to proceed without adequate arrangements, the commission added. The report named Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, additional commissioner (west) Vikash Kumar Vikash, deputy commissioner of police HT Shekhar, and assistant commissioner of police C Balakrishna for their failure to act and manage the crowd. Both Dayananda and Vikash have already been suspended, and the cabinet has now ordered departmental inquiries against officers named in the report. Vikash had challenged his suspension before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which reserved its verdict after hearing the matter. In its order, the tribunal, comprising justice BK Shrivastava and Santhosh Mehra, observed that the June 5 suspension was issued in a 'mechanical manner' and noted that there was no 'convincing material to show any default or negligence' on the part of the suspended police officers at the time. Justice Cunha's report said that the stampede was a result of mismanagement, lack of planning, and deliberate negligence. 'Stampede was triggered by the organisers themselves by not regulating the entry into the gates and making reckless announcements… which in the opinion of the commission is the root cause for the stampede and the consequent death and injuries,' the report noted. On the day of the incident, thousands of fans arrived at the stadium after RCB posted an open invite on social media. However, there were no clear instructions on how to enter, leading to congestion. The commission said neither the organisers nor the police attempted to control the growing crowds. It also found that police officers were working under the command of the commissioner in coordination with the event organisers even before official arrangements had been finalised. The physical infrastructure of the venue was also found to be inadequate. 'All the entry and exit gates were directly opening into the public footpath… there were no organised holding areas,' the report noted. Security deployment was poor. Of the 515 personnel reportedly deployed, only 79 were stationed at the gates. Ambulances were parked far from the venue, and there was no casualty reception centre or medical base nearby. Misleading announcements and narrow entry points further worsened the situation. 'The absence of coordinated messaging and reliable updates prevented effective crowd management and contributed directly to the uncontrolled surge at various gates,' the report said. The commission urged the government to enforce stringent guidelines for future public events and avoid hosting mass gatherings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium unless its infrastructure is overhauled. 'Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness,' the report warned. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Congress government in Karnataka of attempting to deflect blame in the aftermath of the stampede. Responding to the findings of an internal inquiry, which reportedly faulted the RCB management for the chaos, BJP MLA and deputy Leader of the Opposition Aravind Bellad countered that the event was not just organised by the franchise but also promoted heavily by the Congress leadership and government officials. 'It's not only RCB that invited people, a huge number of people came on the invitation of the Congress, (deputy chief minister) DK Shivakumar and government officials, the DPAR secretary came on TV and invited people, the government is solely responsible for this,' Bellad said. Raising questions about the government's decision to suspend police officers for alleged lapses in crowd control, Bellad demanded an apology from chief minister Siddarmaiah to the former Bengaluru police commissioner. 'If the report says RCB is solely responsible, why did the government suspend police officers? The chief minister should apologise to the former police commissioner. If there was an intimation by RCB that they will hold the event, then the government should have refused permission. They had all the right to say this event cannot be held. Just to take credit for the victory, the chief minister and the deputy chief minister invited people,' he said.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cabinet to discuss stadium stampede report today; KSCA, police and organisers likely to face heat
Bengaluru: The cabinet, which meets Thursday, is expected to initiate action against those found responsible for the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, in which 11 people were killed during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. The one-man inquiry commission led by Justice John Michael D'Cunha submitted its report on July 7. Though it was tabled during the cabinet meeting on July 17, a final decision was deferred. The report has reportedly held Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCB franchise owner), event managers DNA Entertainment Networks, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and senior police officers responsible for lapses that led to the tragedy. Chief minister Siddaramaiah met legal experts Wednesday to discuss the report ahead of the cabinet meeting. "The govt has studied the report in detail and required action will be taken on recommendations of ministers and considering provisions under the law," said AS Ponnanna, Congress MLA and legal adviser to the CM. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Sources say the commission has specifically recommended legal action against KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, DNA Entertainment Networks MD Venkat Vardhan, and Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Enhance Online Presence and Get Customers [Try Now] Undo The report criticised the choice of venue, calling the stadium infrastructure inadequate for large gatherings, and reportedly suggested shifting crowd-heavy events to better-equipped venues. "Since the govt has already taken some action including suspension of four police officers, the cabinet will deliberate on Justice Cunha's report and make recommendations. While a case is pending in the high court, the cabinet will also decide on filing a fresh petition if needed," said HK Patil, law and parliamentary affairs minister. Officials said more legal action is likely, especially since the report accused KSCA and event organisers of violating the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bengaluru City) Order, 2009. Despite lacking police permission, organisers proceeded with the event. The commission also pulled up police for deploying only about 70 personnel — far below the required strength. Casting a long shadow, the report's findings could impact upcoming events at the venue, including key matches of the ICC World Cup. The Maharaja Cup, slated for Aug 11-28, will now be held without spectators. Other items on agenda Besides the stampede report, the cabinet is also likely to consider key proposals, including amendments to the Global Capability Centers (GCC) Policy 2024-29, establishment of a Centre of Excellence for space technologies in Bengaluru, and implementation of the local economy accelerator programme at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore to drive tech innovation. "These steps are being taken to enhance jobs and the proposed amendment to the GCC policy is in line with the industrial policy aimed at creating a pro-people and industry-friendly ecosystem," said IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge.
India Today
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
3-year jail term, Rs 5,000 fine: Karnataka proposes crowd control law
The Karnataka government has proposed a new legislation, Karnataka Crowd Control Bill, 2025, in the aftermath of the June 4 stampede in draft bill, which was taken up for discussion in a cabinet meeting today, aims to regulate large gatherings and prevent any such incidents in the future. The draft law proposes stringent penalties, including up to three years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 fine for draft proposes to regulate and manage crowds at 'sponsored events and mass gatherings' in Karnataka — such as political rallies, and conferences. However, the bill exempts traditional and religious gatherings such as fairs, Rathotsava (chariot festivals), Pallakki Utsava (palanquin processions), boat festivals (Teppada Teru or Teppotsava), Urs (also called as Urus) events, and other religious the Karnataka Crowd Control Bill, anyone who disobeys police orders or violates the law can be punished with imprisonment or fine, or both. For commercial event planners — like those organising sports or circus shows — stricter penalties apply if they fail to get police permission, cannot manage the crowd, don't compensate for any harm caused, or violate the law in any such cases, the punishment can be up to three years in jail, a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh, or both. If an event leads to death or injury because of missing permissions or negligence by the organiser, it is treated as a punishable offence. All offences under this law are non-cognisable, non-bailable and will be handled by a first-class to the draft bill, the government constitutes 'Event Planners' as individuals or groups organising mass gatherings, as notified by the government, while 'Crowd' is explained as a large, often unruly gathering at notified events like political rallies or bill is expected to get a green signal at the next cabinet Congress-led Karnataka government faced heavy criticism after the stampede, in which 11 people died and over 60 others were injured. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, especially faced backlash for what people called 'utter mismanagement' and crowd government, on its part, suspended top police officials in the city and arrested four individuals – Royal Challengers Bengaluru's marketing head and three connected with the event organiser DNA Entertainment Networks.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka HC grants bail to Sosale, three more in stampede case
The Karnataka high court on Thursday granted bail to Nikhil Sosale, head of marketing at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and three others, observing that they were all arrested illegally, without any credible evidence or investigation linking them to the June 4 crush at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that killed 11 people and injured over 50 others. Justice SR Krishna Kumar said the police 'had neither conducted any investigation nor produced any credible material' to show they had reason to believe that Sosale and the other petitioners were involved in the alleged offences at the time of their arrest. The judge further said that merely holding top positions in the organisations was not enough to justify the petitioners' arrest, especially when they were not named in the FIRs and no material was presented to establish their direct involvement in the incident. Besides Sosale, the court granted bail to Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S, and Shamant NP Mavinakere, all employees of the event management company DNA Entertainment Networks, who were also arrested in the same case. The court directed that all four be released from judicial custody upon surrendering their passports. Justice Kumar observed that since the mandatory conditions under Section 35(1)(c) of the BNSS, 2023 that pertain to arresting someone without a warrant, were not met in the present case, the arrests made by the CCB following directions of the city police were prima facie illegal and arbitrary. 'The impugned arrest of the petitioners is clearly contrary to law and facts and prima facie illegal and arbitrary and the petitioners are entitled to interim bail in the present petitions,' the court said. Justice Krishna Kumar had reserved the verdict on the bail applications filed by Sosale and the others on June 11. At the time, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta, appearing for Sosale, had argued that his client was being unfairly held responsible. Sosale was not a decision maker, but only an employee and hence, there can be no vicarious liability, Chouta had argued. Opposing the bail plea, Advocate General (AG) Shashi Kiran Shetty had argued that RCB bore full responsibility for the stampede that killed 11 people and injured over 50 others. The AG had said the team's last-minute social media posts, including announcements about free passes and open invitations, had triggered the massive and unmanageable crowd outside the stadium that ultimately led to the deadly stampede. When asked by the court if the government's position was that RCB was entirely responsible, the AG had replied in the affirmative. He had then cited an agreement between RCB, BCCI, and DNA Entertainment to show that RCB and DNA were responsible for all arrangements inside the statement as well as crowd management. Sosale and the others have also challenged the legality of their arrest, alleging it was politically motivated and violated constitutional norms.
Scroll.in
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka HC seeks sealed status report from state government
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday ordered the state government to submit, in a sealed cover, its status report on the stampede in Bengaluru, The Indian Express reported. Eleven persons were killed and more than 50 were injured on June 4 in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where fans had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory in the Indian Premier League and welcome the team. On June 5, the court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and issued a notice to the Congress government in the state. It also sought a status report from the Karnataka government. The suo motu petition and three other related pleas were heard by Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice CM Joshi on Tuesday, the Hindustan Times reported. During the hearing, Karnataka Advocate General KM Shashikiran Shetty told the court that the government would not like to place information on probe findings in the public domain while the judicial inquiry is underway, The Indian Express reported. Shetty also submitted that a judicial commission has been formed to investigate the incident, PTI reported. The commission has to submit its findings within a month. Shetty added that police officers were also suspended over the stampede. The court will hear the matter again on Thursday. On June 5, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and several police officers. He had also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. On Friday, the Karnataka Police arrested Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, along with event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks' Sunil Mathew, Kiran and Sumanth in connection with the stampede. This came hours after Siddaramaiah said that the state government had ordered the arrest of representatives from the Karnataka State Cricket Association, DNA Entertainment Networks and Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the stampede. On Monday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and DNA Entertainment Networks filed separate petitions in the court seeking to quash the criminal case filed against them after the incident, according to The Indian Express.
