The Karnataka government has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) management liable for the stampede that occurred outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, killing 11 persons and injuring over 50. The findings were revealed in a status report made public on Thursday (July 17), just two days after the Karnataka High Court ordered their release.

The report also accuses DNA Networks, RCB's event partner, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) of their roles in organizing the event without proper clearances, as well as RCB's decision to hold the procession despite police objections.

"There was no formal request for permission from the organisers, nor were the required information and details provided, which meant that the request for permission could not be considered. Consequently, the permission was not granted to the letter of intimation dated 3.06.2025 given to the concerned PI,” the report stated, as per Cricbuzz, blaming the stampede on RCB in full.

"KSCA CEO Subhendu Ghosh informed the Cubbon Park police on the evening of June 3 that a parade was planned if the team won the final. However, police rejected the proposal, citing insufficient details and short notice. Despite this, RCB went ahead and posted invites on social media at 7:01 am on June 4, calling fans to gather for a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium," the report added.

The statutory provisions demand that an application for such a parade be made at least seven days in advance, omitting the date of the function. However, the celebration was planned after RCB won the IPL 2025 title on June 3, the court noted.

According to the report, messages, including a video of Virat Kohli inviting fans to join the celebration, sparked tremendous internet interaction, resulting in unprecedented crowds.

"I'm going to feel the real side of it when we get to Bengaluru tomorrow and celebrate this with the city,” Virat Kohli's quoted was used by RCB as caption. 

“This led to a public gathering of immense proportions, exceeding 3,00,000 individuals. One basis for estimating the crowd size is the BMRCL ridership numbers for 04.06.2025, which transported around 9. 66 lakh persons on that date (with the average ridership on regular days being around 6 lakh persons per day). Therefore, including those who travelled on foot, used public transport, and private means on 04.06.2025, the estimated gathering would be well beyond 3,00,000 individuals.

On 04.06.2025, at approximately 3 p.m., there was a sudden surge of people in a constricted area in and around Chinnaswamy Stadium. Around 3,00,000 individuals gathered in this limited space, far exceeding the stadium's capacity of merely 35,000. Such a crowd concentrated at the entry gates of the stadium following posts made by the RCB/organisers on their official handles stating that entry to the event would be free for all.

However, it was only at around 3.14 pm that the RCB/DNA/organisers published a post on their official social media accounts for the first time and belatedly, clarifying that entry to the stadium would require limited pass entry (free passes), thereby creating confusion, frustration, and chaos among the public who had already gathered at the stadium and were in high emotions,” the report further stated.

The government stated that no license was obtained under the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009, and that a simple notification to the police was insufficient.

According to the report, police were tasked with crowd management mere hours before the event, and numerous gates, including Gates 1, 2, and 21, had major overcrowding and security malfunctions.

Meanwhile, the state government has challenged the Central Administrative Tribunal's decision to reverse the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar and four others, claiming the officials failed to take preventive measures.

The CID investigation is in its final stages. Senior officials from RCB and DNA Networks have recorded their statements. No official timeline has been set for the final judgment.

(Cricbuzz inputs)