Karnataka proposes a new law to manage large gatherings after the RCB celebration stampede left 11 dead. The Bill mandates police permissions, strict penalties, and organiser accountability for crowd safety.
Bengaluru: Today, on June 20, the Karnataka government has introduced a new Bill called the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025.
This new law is meant to regulate large public gatherings like political rallies, sports events, cultural conferences, and similar programmes to make sure such events are safe and properly managed.
Also Read: CID to Probe Bengaluru Stadium Stampede That Killed 11: Karnataka Govt Tells High Court
It also aims to fix responsibility if anyone is injured or dies due to poor crowd management.
This decision comes shortly after a tragic stampede happened at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.
In that unfortunate incident, 11 people lost their lives, and many others were injured. This incident shocked the public and highlighted the urgent need for a law to manage big crowds at events.
Officials stated that the law was being brought in to
“fill the legislative vacuum concerning crowd management at mass gatherings and impose clear duties on organisers, law enforcement and intermediaries.”
The Karnataka government is expected to bring up the Bill in the next cabinet meeting for further discussion and approval.
As per the proposed Bill, any event where a large number of people is expected to attend must get prior permission from the local police.
The authorities will have the right to approve, delay, shift or even cancel such events if there are any safety risks or emergencies. If someone violates the rules of this Bill, they could face strict punishments.
For general rule-breakers, the punishment could be up to three years in jail, a fine of ₹5,000, or both.
For commercial organisers – for example, those holding sports events or circuses – the punishment is harsher. They can be sent to jail for up to three years or fined Rs 5 lakh or both if they don’t follow the rules or if someone gets hurt because of mismanagement.
Importantly, the Bill says organisers will be held directly responsible if someone dies or is hurt at their event.
They must pay compensation to the victims or their families. If they fail to do so, then the government has the right to recover the amount just like it collects land revenue dues. This could even include auctioning off the organiser’s property.
Also, the courts will now have the power to consider how much the incident has affected the victims or their families while giving punishment. This is done through
“victim impact statements”.
Another strong part of this Bill is that anyone who helps or supports someone in breaking the law – even if they didn’t mean to – can also be jailed for up to three years.
The Bill clearly says that
“those who knowingly or unknowingly assist others in committing offences under the Act may also face imprisonment of up to three years.”
Authorities like District Magistrates will also be given special powers under this Bill. They will be able to ban or stop any event that might create disturbance or peace issues.
Events that promote communal disharmony can also be banned. They will also be able to control things like sound systems and processions in public places.
The state government will also be responsible for running public awareness campaigns. It will train police and other officials to manage crowds better and to prevent dangerous situations like stampedes.
The Bill adds that its rules will be followed along with the laws already in place such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, unless there is a direct contradiction.
The Bill also protects government officers from legal action if they act “in good faith”.
It gives the Karnataka government the power to make rules related to this Bill, but only after sharing those rules publicly and getting them reviewed by the legislature.
Notably, this Bill will not apply to religious gatherings like jatras, rathotsavas, pallakki utsavas, urus and other similar faith-based events. It specifically mentions that it excludes such religious activities “from its ambit.”
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