Karnataka blames RCB for stampede, will take action: Dinesh G. Rao

The Karnataka government has squarely blamed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the stampede that occurred during its IPL victory celebratory parade outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 which claimed 11 lives and left several others injured. In its report submitted to the High Court, the government pointed to a series of lapses, including a public video appeal by cricketer Virat Kohli that it said drew an overwhelming crowd despite police denying permission for the event. The state government has said in its report that the RCB management contacted police on June 3 -- the day RCB won the IPL after an 18-year trophy drought -- and informed the cops about a possible victory parade. This was in the nature of an intimation, not a requisition for permission as required under the law," the report says. It adds that such permissions must be sought at least seven days before the event.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Karnataka government reportedly blames RCB for the June 4 stampede, Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao says, "If there has been some mishandling of the situation, we will take action... Since so many people died, we have to wait for the report before… pic.twitter.com/PURbpKTRnI

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The report says RCB, without consulting the police, posted a photo at 7.01 am the next day on its official social media handles, "informing that there is free entry for people and inviting the public to participate in the Victory Parade, which would commence at Vidhana Soudha and conclude at Chinnaswamy Stadium". According to the state government, no formal permission was taken from the event organiser (DNA), merely informing the police about the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade on June 3 without seeking formal approval as mandated by the 2009 city order. Consequently, the police denied permission.

The state government said that the RCB, DNA, and KSCA failed to coordinate effectively. Mismanagement at the entry gates and delayed openings led to a stampede, resulting in injuries to seven police personnel. To prevent further unrest, the police permitted a restricted version of the event to proceed under controlled conditions. The government argued that it was impossible to manage the huge crowd with just 12 hours' notice and questioned the officer's actions. "What was the officer doing? Did he take any steps? Instead of issuing prohibitory orders under the Police Act, they went ahead with bandobast for the celebration," the state submitted.

(State Correspondent)