'RCB doesn't represent nation, why the felicitation?': Petitioner asks Karnataka
What's the story
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday took suo motu cognizance of the stampede that marred the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebration event in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The court has issued a notice to the state government, seeking a detailed status report on the incident by Tuesday.
At least 11 people died and 47 were injured in the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB's IPL 2025 victory celebrations.
Court proceedings
Bench expresses concern over crowd management at public events
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice C M Joshi heard the matter.
At the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner argued that the state must clarify who decided to felicitate RCB players.
"What is the obligation to felicitate players who are not playing for the country. What are the steps or safety measures to control public. It is a criminal negligence. Only 3 gates were opened of the stadium," the petitioner said.
State
250,000 people gathered near stadium: AG
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, arguing for the state, stated that the police commissioner and other top police officers, including 1,318 and 1,483 personnel, were present on the ground.
He mentioned that about 250,000 people had gathered near the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
"11 dead and injured received treatments at hospitals. As of today 6 injured are in hospitals and they would be discharged mostly by today, milords," the advocate general told the court.
Court's inquiry
What SOPs are in place to handle such incidents?
At this point, the court asked if anything happens of this nature in the future, does the state have any SOP, to which Shetty said that this was "futuristic."
The bench further asked, "Are there any vehicles, which can be made available if such incident happens, which hospitals will the injured be taken? All this is to be included in SOP."
Advocate General Shetty replied that the state government is taking the incident seriously and will prepare an SOP.
Event management
Magisterial inquiry has already begun, bench told
He admitted that while ambulances were present, their number was insufficient.
The bench thereafter asked about the system in place during IPL matches, to which Shetty said that event management and security are handled by RCB.
He added that a magisterial inquiry has already begun and a report will be submitted within 15 days.
The bench also inquired if permissions were sought for the events, to which Shetty replied, "There was huge crowd, people...came from Bengaluru and around the state."
Government's stance
'State is not hiding anything...': Advocate general
Shetty further said that the state is not hiding anything and has already started an inquiry.
He read out a press release issued by the inquiry officer detailing the process of inquiry, assuring that everything will be video recorded and presented before the court.
The advocate general added, "We are concerned about it as much as anyone else. We have been working since last night."
The court has listed the next hearing for June 10.