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Judicial probe report blames organisers, senior cops for Bengaluru stampede
The report highlighted that despite knowing that the event was unauthorised and lacked security arrangements, senior police officers allowed it to go ahead
A judicial commission investigating the June 4 stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people and injured over 50 people, has held the organisers of the RCB victory parade and senior police officers responsible for the deaths and injuries that occurred during the event.
The inquiry, led by justice John Michael Cunha, stated that the organisers – Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCB), DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) – failed to obtain mandatory permissions and licenses to conduct the public event.
“The organisers were duty bound to obtain prior permission… but failed to obtain the requisite permission/license [and] failed to follow the procedures,” it stated.
The report highlighted that despite knowing that the event was unauthorised and lacked security arrangements, senior police officers allowed it to go ahead. Those named include B Dayananda, then additional director general and commissioner of police; Vikash Kumar Vikash, additional commissioner of police – West Bengaluru; HT Shekhar, DCP central division; and C Balakrishna, ACP of Cubbon Park sub division.
The commission said the stampede was a direct result of gross mismanagement by the organisers. “Stampede was triggered by the organizers themselves by not regulating the entry into the gates and making reckless announcement… which in the opinion of the commission is the root cause for the stampede and the consequent death and injuries.”
Eleven people died and over 50 were injured in the incident, which occurred after RCB issued social media invitations to fans on the morning of the event. The commission noted that neither the entry protocol was clarified in the posts, nor were the crowds guided properly even after congestion began at the stadium gates.
“The police officers themselves were found working on bandobust at the command of the Additional Director General and Commissioner of Police, apparently in collusion and in nexus with the organizers even before the activation of the arrangements,” the report said.
The design of the stadium was also flagged as unsafe for large gatherings. “All the entry and exit gates were directly opening into the public footpath… there were no organized holding areas,” the commission stated.
Adding to the chaos were misleading and last-minute announcements, poor barricading, narrow entry points, and the under-deployment of security and medical teams. Only 79 of the 515 deployed personnel were positioned at entry gates. Ambulances were parked far from the stadium, and there was no casualty reception or emergency medical centre nearby.
The panel concluded: “The absence of coordinated messaging and reliable updates prevented effective crowd management and contributed directly to the uncontrolled surge at various gates.”
Justice Cunha recommended legal action against all key officials and entities involved, including KSCA president Raghuram Bhat and others from RCB and DNA Entertainment. The report emphasised that future events open to the general public must not be conducted without robust emergency protocols.
The commission has also advised moving such mass-gathering events to safer, better-equipped venues.
“Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness,” the report warned.
