Our Bureau
Bengaluru
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has ruled that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bears primary responsibility for the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured during the team’s IPL victory celebrations on June 4.
According to the tribunal’s order, RCB posted an open invitation to their victory celebrations on social media without seeking police permission or coordinating with authorities. This sudden announcement drew an unexpectedly massive crowd to the stadium, leaving the police with less than 12 hours to prepare. The tribunal emphasized that it was unreasonable to expect law enforcement to manage such a large gathering on such short notice, stating, “Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither ‘God’ nor magicians. They do not have the magic powers like ‘Alladin ka Chirag’ (Alladin’s lamp) that they can fulfill any wish by rubbing a finger”.
The stampede occurred as thousands of fans surged towards the stadium, overwhelming security and event management. The venue, with a capacity of 35,000, saw nearly ten times that number descend on the area, resulting in chaos and tragedy. Among the victims was a 14-year-old girl.
In the immediate aftermath, the Karnataka government suspended five senior police officers, including IPS Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was the Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, West, Bengaluru, and in charge of security at the stadium. However, the CAT has now revoked his suspension, declaring it should be counted as a period of service. The tribunal found that the suspension was not supported by sufficient evidence of negligence or default by the officers involved and suggested the state also reconsider suspensions of two other senior officers.
FIRs have been registered against RCB, the event management company DNA, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association for criminal negligence. The state government and event organizers have faced sharp criticism, with opposition parties calling the incident a “government-manufactured stampede” and demanding accountability.
