According to the petition, RCSL said that they had issued clear instructions regarding entry and pass distribution.
Bengaluru, June 9th: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the criminal case filed against it in connection with the tragic stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives.
The incident had shocked the entire city and raised questions about event safety, crowd control, and police preparedness. The stampede occurred during a large-scale event where the Royal Challengers team was involved, along with an event management company.
The legal petition was filed by Royal Challengers Sports Limited (RCSL), the official owner of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team. In the petition, RCB’s management team has stated that they have been “falsely implicated in the case.”
According to the petition, RCSL said that they had issued clear instructions regarding entry and pass distribution.
The company stated on record:
“It had clearly communicated on social media that only limited passes were available.”
“Even for free passes, pre-registration was mandatory for entry.”
This, they argued, shows that they had made all necessary arrangements from their side to avoid overcrowding.
The FIR named KSCA President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A Shankar, and Treasurer E S Jayaram. Following this, the KSCA filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court, arguing that it was not responsible for crowd management and should not be held liable for the unfortunate incident.
In the petition, KSCA maintained:
“There is absolutely no wrong that can be attributed to the Petitioner Committee or its office bearers as they stand aloof of any liabilities against the entire unfortunate incident.”
It explained its limited role in the event, stating:
“IPL events are conducted by RCB through their service provider M/S DNA network private limited and the role of KSCA is very limited as it accommodates by extending the venue and infrastructure.”
It also clarified its function in the permission process:
“KSCA facilitates government permissions. The management of gates is the responsibility of RCB Franchise /DNA who execute under the direction of the police.”
Furthermore, the association alleged that the FIR was lodged under duress, stating:
“The police have registered the FIR under intense pressure and compelling circumstances without any preliminary enquiry by naming the petitioner/members of KSCA as accused.”
Following an urgent hearing, Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar of the Karnataka High Court restrained the police from taking any coercive action against the KSCA office-bearers until the next hearing.
The judge also directed the petitioners to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The matter regarding the quashing of the FIR has been scheduled for a further hearing on June 16, 2025.
Separately, the Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the stampede and has asked the state government to submit a status report. This matter will be heard on June 10, 2025.
Separately, the event management company, DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, which was hired to organise the event, has also filed a petition challenging the FIR filed against it.
Both RCB and DNA Entertainment are urging the Karnataka High Court to cancel the FIRs, stating they are not directly responsible for what happened.
According to the RCB petition, one of the main reasons for the crowd surge was the delay in opening the stadium gates. The company said that the gates were scheduled to open at 1:45 PM, but they were actually opened only at 3:00 PM.
“Stadium gates, which were supposed to open at 1:45 pm, were actually opened only at 3:00 pm, causing a crowd surge.”
This delay, they claim, led to uncontrollable crowds gathering at the entry points, resulting in the tragic incident.
ALSO READ: Chinnaswamy Stampede: Karnataka HC Denies Interim Relief to RCB’s Nikhil Sosale
Meanwhile, DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd has pointed fingers at the police, claiming the stampede happened due to poor crowd control by law enforcement.
“The incident occurred due to failure of crowd management by the police.”
This argument suggests that the event organisers had done their part, and the lack of proper coordination and support from police authorities led to the stampede.
The Karnataka High Court is expected to hear both petitions on Monday afternoon.
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