1st stampede death was reported before felicitation—but RCB continued celebrations
What's the story
The first fatality in the stampede at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 was recorded at 3:45pm, around 15 minutes before the IPL victory celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Vidhana Soudha, reported The Indian Express. The grand ceremony honoring the team was held from 4:00pm to 5:00pm in the Vidhana Soudha, which means that RCB and the state government had the option to cancel the event. Another event took place at the stadium from 5:00 to 6:00pm.
Investigation findings
Timeline of deaths
The investigation into the tragic incident, based on hospital records and body movements to two mortuaries for postmortems, revealed that 10 more deaths were recorded between 4:15pm and 5:15pm at three central Bengaluru hospitals. This was while the public felicitation for RCB was still underway. The grand ceremony honoring the IPL-winning team was attended by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and other cabinet ministers.
Government response
Investigation underway
The stampede and the "if" factor have become a major controversy in Karnataka. On Wednesday, the Karnataka government squarely blamed the RCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the stampede. Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty told the court that RCB had invited everyone to the victory parade through social media without seeking formal permission. "It was as if they invited...the whole world," he said, adding that no information on ticketing or entry protocols was provided.
HC
Bail to 4 accused
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court has granted interim bail to all four accused in the stampede case—RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale and three executives from DNA Entertainment Networks. Justice SR Krishnakumar concluded hearings on the interim bail petitions filed by the four accused on Wednesday. The petitions challenged the legality of their arrests over the deadly stampede.