A joyous victory for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 turned tragic as a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in 11 people losing their lives and 33 getting injured.
The unfortunate episode occurred on June 4 when passionate fans were attending the celebration event for the RCB team lifting their maiden IPL trophy.
Nearly three weeks after the tragic incident, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, in an interaction with India Today, confirmed that the board is treating this matter with utmost seriousness and is “taking every aspect of risk very seriously to avoid any future mishaps.”
Saikia also stated that strict new rules will be enforced for future victory parades to ensure public safety.
Last week, BCCI formed a committee to formulate comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing occurrences similar to the victory celebrations in Bengaluru.
“In light of the incident that occurred during the victory celebrations in Bengaluru, the Apex Council has decided to constitute a committee to formulate comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing such occurrences in the future," the board said in a statement.
The committee comprises Devajit Saikia (Chairperson), Prabhtej Singh Bhatia and Rajeev Shukla
Meanwhile, the BCCI has reportedly proposed the following guidelines for IPL victory celebrations:
- No team will be allowed to hold celebrations within 3-4 days of winning the title.
- Quick turnarounds will not be permitted to avoid rushed and poorly managed events.
- Teams must seek formal permission from BCCI before organising any celebration.
- No events can be held without prior written clearance from the board.
- Mandatory 4 to 5-tier security protocols
- Multi-layered security presence will be essential at all venues and during transit.
- Security arrangements must cover team movement from airport to event venue.
- Ensuring full protection for players and staff throughout the event schedule.
- Permission must be obtained from district police, state government, and local authorities
- All celebrations must be greenlit by civic and law enforcement bodies to proceed legally and safely.
After the tragic stampede incident, an FIR was filed with the Bengaluru police and they named RCB, officials in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and others as accused. RCB’s head of marketing and revenue, Nikhil Sosale, has been taken into custody while some police officers have been suspended as the investigation carries on.
RCB were supposed to hold a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium. Throughout the day, there was no clarity on whether the parade would took place, as initially, the Bengaluru traffic police denied permission, citing that there might be too much chaos.
As soon as the Rajat Patidar-led side reached Vidhana Soudha to meet the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a stampede was reported outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
(With India Today Inputs)
