Today, On 11th June, The Karnataka government told the High Court that BCCI and RCB “invited the whole world” without seeking permission, blaming them for the Bengaluru stampede during the RCB event that led to chaos and injuries.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday placed the blame for the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which resulted in 11 fatalities, squarely on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The state informed the High Court that no official permission had been requested for the event and that the organizers had instead “invited the whole world via social media.“
The case is being reviewed by a single-judge bench led by Justice SR Krishna Kumar.
Also Read: CID to Probe Bengaluru Stadium Stampede That Killed 11: Karnataka Govt Tells High Court
This statement was made during the resumed hearing of petitions from four individuals, including RCB’s marketing head Nikhil Sosale, who are contesting the legality of their arrests related to the incident.
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the state, told the court that RCB was aware they had already won their match against Punjab on May 29 and were heading to the finals.
However, they failed to seek permission for the victory parade or any celebratory activities within the stadium.
The Advocate General stated,
“On June 3, just one hour before the match began, they submitted a representation saying they ‘shall’ organise a victory parade. They were not seeking permission. They were merely informing us of their plans,”
He noted that the only communication from the organizers was an intimation from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Despite this, RCB posted numerous messages on social media from 11:30 PM on June 3 through the morning of June 4, inviting fans to the celebrations.
He remarked,
“It was as if they invited the whole world,”
Adding that between 350,000 to 400,000 people attended the event, even though the stadium’s capacity is only 33,000 stated,
“They never mentioned who would be allowed in. Their post said all fans were invited to cheer.”
The government also highlighted an agreement between RCB and the BCCI regarding gate management, ticketing, and security, indicating that the responsibility for crowd control lay solely with the franchise and the cricket board.
The earlier suggestion of a tripartite agreement involving event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd and KSCA was corrected in court.
The Advocate General claimed that RCB attempted to misrepresent the event as a government function rather than a private one. He pointed out that while RCB had advertised free passes, they did not clarify who would be allowed entry.
He argued,
“They have come to this court with unclean hands. They have tried to mislead this court,”
Additionally, he mentioned that the investigation had been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), asserting that the timing of this transfer was not significant as the High Court had been promptly informed.
Several police officials had been suspended following the incident, and replacements, including a new commissioner, had been swiftly appointed, whose appointment documents the court is currently reviewing.
The state also accused Nikhil Sosale of attempting to run away, noting that flight tickets were purchased at 10:56 PM for a flight scheduled for the following morning.
The Advocate General stated,
“There is no dispute about that,”
During the proceedings, RCB’s counsel contended that the accused employees should not be held responsible solely because the entity is implicated, citing the lack of vicarious liability under the Indian Penal Code.
Justice Krishna Kumar assured the Advocate General that the court would not be influenced by individual statements.
He noted,
“Anybody can be easily misquoted. I am not going to go by any one statement,”
He further added,
“I am not the one to grant bail on the basis of one statement.”