Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka HC restrains authorities from taking action against KSCA officials

The office bearers had approached the court seeking to quash the FIR filed against them in connection with the deadly stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Karnataka High Court on Friday restrained authorities from taking coercive action against the state cricket association office bearers.

Footwears lie on the ground outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium following a stampede after a large number of fans gathered for the felicitation of the IPL 2025 winning Royal Challengers Bengaluru team, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (PTI)

The office bearers had approached the court seeking to quash the FIR filed against them in connection with the deadly stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium

The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening in front of the stadium, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people have died and 56 were injured in the incident.

The police had registered an FIR against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., and KSCA in connection with the incident.

The police invoked sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 118 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means), 121 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 190 (liability of members of an unlawful assembly for offences committed in pursuit of a common object), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty), and 125 (12) (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

“The stampede incident…was due to RCB franchise, DNA, and KSCA administrative committee giving permission for the program and arranging the program at KSCA stadium without adequate arrangements for the program, without adequate security for fans to enter peacefully, without balanced arrangements for fans,” said the first information report in Kannada, filed at the Cubbon Park police station.

“Additionally, thousands of fans gathered around the stadium due to RCB’s official posts on social media and social networking sites providing misleading information about free entry for the public at gates, leading to fan gatherings. This incident occurred due to this reason,” the FIR, which HT has seen, added.