Today, On 21st July, The Karnataka High Court dismissed DNA Entertainment Networks’ challenge to the judicial commission report that held the company responsible for the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede. The court found no grounds to interfere with the panel’s detailed findings and its conclusions.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court rejected a petition by DNA Entertainment Networks, an event management company, which challenged the findings of a judicial commission report that implicated the company and its officials in the June 4 stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Justices DK Singh and Tara Vitasta Ganju issued the ruling.
The stampede occurred after approximately 300,000 fans gathered in hopes of meeting the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team following their IPL victory on June 3.
The celebratory event turned tragic when a stampede broke out at the stadium’s gates, resulting in 11 fatalities and more than 50 injuries.
Also Read: CID to Probe Bengaluru Stadium Stampede That Killed 11: Karnataka Govt Tells High Court
In response, the State directed a judicial inquiry led by retired High Court Justice John Michael D’ Cunha to investigate the circumstances leading to the stampede and propose corrective actions.
Justice Cunha’s report stated that the organizers exhibited recklessness and failed to manage crowd entry effectively. He recommended that legal action be taken against RCB, DNA, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), as well as several officials, including those from law enforcement.
DNA countered these findings by claiming that police and other State agencies were to blame for inadequately controlling the crowd outside the stadium, which they argued contributed to the stampede.
They further contended that the quick submission of the inquiry report suggested an attempt by the State to evade responsibility. DNA characterized the inquiry as a mere “eye wash” aimed at deflecting blame onto them.
Senior Advocate BK Sampath Kumar, representing DNA, stated that the company’s officials were not afforded a proper opportunity to present their case during the inquiry. He expressed concerns that the findings could be used against them in criminal proceedings.
He also noted that the State’s actions had severely tarnished the reputation of DNA officials, labeling them as “named and shamed.”
In response, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the State, argued that the State should not be held responsible for any perceived naming and shaming of DNA officials, as such media coverage had been prevalent long before the inquiry report was finalized.
He asserted that the evaluation by the inquiry commission was less critical than the media portrayals and emphasized that any criminal proceedings stemming from the June 4 stampede would be separate from the inquiry’s findings. Shetty promised that if the State decided to use the report in criminal cases, proper notice would be provided.
DNA’s petition was filed through advocate Suraj Sampath of BK Sampath Kumar & Associates. The case had previously been reviewed in detail by another bench consisting of Justices Jayant Banerjee and SG Pandit before being presented to Justices Singh and Ganju.
A criminal case has been filed against the officials of RCB, DNA, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which oversees stadium rentals. All accused parties subsequently approached the High Court to challenge the criminal charges. The KSCA has already received interim relief from the High Court regarding this issue.
Moreover, several officials from DNA and RCB, including RCB’s marketing head Nikhil Sosale, who were previously arrested, have been granted interim bail.
In a notable development, the High Court has initiated a suo motu case concerning the situation.
Case Title: DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited v. State of Karnataka and ors