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Cabinet to discuss report on stampede on July 17
A judicial inquiry report on the deadly Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede has been submitted, revealing RCB's failure to secure police approval for the event.
Over a month after a deadly stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during an RCB victory celebration, a judicial inquiry into the incident has concluded. On Friday, retired high court judge Michael D’Cunha handed over the report to chief minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha.
The report, compiled in two volumes, was submitted in the presence of key officials, including legal advisor and MLA AS Ponnanna and chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh. The government said the document will be taken up for discussion at the cabinet meeting scheduled for July 17.
“I had appointed a one-man Commission to enquire into the matter and give a report. Accordingly, justice D’Cunha submitted the report,” Siddaramaiah told reporters after the submission. “It will be placed before the cabinet… I have not read the two volumes. I’ll go through it and the cabinet will take its decision. Recommendations made by the commission will be discussed,” he added.
The inquiry was initiated after 11 people were killed and over 30 injured on June 4 when a massive crowd surged outside the stadium for a public event organised by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to celebrate their IPL title. The gathering, which swelled to an estimated three to five hundred thousand people, overwhelmed available security arrangements.
The government has not indicated whether the full report will be made public. For now, the cabinet’s decision on July 17 will determine the course of action based on the commission’s recommendations.
According to the commission’s preliminary observations, RCB did not seek police approval before announcing the event online. The last-minute nature of the announcement left law enforcement unable to plan adequately for the massive turnout, said an official in the know.
The government had constituted the judicial inquiry on June 5, the day after the tragedy. The commission was asked to submit its findings within a month. Though its term was extended until August 31 to complete other assignments, the stampede probe was prioritised for early completion.
In the wake of the incident, a criminal case was registered against the RCB franchise, event organiser DNA Entertainment Networks, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). The FIR alleged that the event was held without mandatory permissions. All three have disputed the allegations in court and accused the state of trying to shift responsibility.
The stampede has also been the subject of separate inquiries — a magisterial investigation by the Bengaluru deputy commissioner and a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe. Union minister HD Kumaraswamy questioned the rationale behind ordering multiple investigations into the same incident. “The government wanted to show that it had taken measures regarding the incident before the high court took up the PIL suo motu... Which report are you going to accept?” Kumaraswamy asked.
Apart from the Chinnaswamy case, Justice D’Cunha is also leading probes into the Chamarajanagar district hospital oxygen deaths and irregularities in Covid-19 procurement.
During a hearing of a plea by one of the suspended officers, the Central Administrative Tribunal noted: “Prima facie, it appears that the RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of the aforementioned information, the public gathered. Due to the time constraint on June 4, the police were unable to make the necessary arrangements. Sufficient time was not given to the police.”
