After an 18-year wait, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally clinched the IPL title, but celebrations turned tragic when a stampede at the victory event claimed the lives of 11 people. Among the 47 injured, several are reported to be in critical condition. As the magnitude of the incident became apparent, both the Karnataka government and organizations like RCB and the BCCI distanced themselves from responsibility. Taking serious note of the tragedy, the Karnataka High Court has initiated suo moto proceedings and scheduled a hearing this afternoon to determine accountability. This has heightened tensions for the state government as well as the RCB management.
An estimated crowd of over three lakh had gathered to welcome RCB and star player Virat Kohli. Initially, a celebratory rally was planned with players aboard a bus, but it was abruptly canceled. The event was then shifted to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which has a limited seating capacity. This led to massive overcrowding at the gates, resulting in a deadly stampede that killed 11 people. Neither the government, RCB, nor the BCCI accepted responsibility for the incident, prompting the High Court to intervene. The Karnataka government claimed it was not responsible, stating that the event had been organized by RCB and the stadium authorities. The Home Minister said they were merely present to welcome the local team and were not involved in planning.
The BCCI claimed it did not know about the event. The police stated that it was difficult to deploy adequate security within 12 hours, especially after the extensive arrangements made for the previous night’s match, which had left officers exhausted.
RCB responded by saying that the celebration was a reflection of the emotions of their fans, and despite messages urging people to take care of one another, such an unfortunate situation occurred. The High Court is now expected to issue a ruling and may appoint a high-level committee to investigate the incident and fix accountability.