Following the tragic stampede near Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, in which 11 people died and several others were injured, comes a significant development. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), in a June 3 letter to the state government, has established that the RCB match-winning celebrations had been approved beforehand. The communication to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) points out the role of KSCA in granting permission for the felicitation function organized at the Vidhana Soudha after Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic IPL 2025 title victory.

Though the formal function at the Vidhana Soudha was conducted without hitches, a free-for-all erupted outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium following an open invitation on social media that triggered a public congregation. The massive crowd, a lack of crowd control, and an awful stampede resulted. The public was outraged, and an FIR was filed against all the senior KSCA officials, including President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A. Shankar, and Treasurer E.S. Jairam.

KSCA filed a Petition with the Karnataka High Court, basically saying that they were not responsible except for arranging for permissions and putting up the infrastructure. The crowd management and event planning, they claimed, were carried out by RCB and its events partner, DNA Entertainment Networks. The letter presented also emphasized that gate management and delivery were under RCB and DNA, in cooperation with local officials.

High Court Intervention and KSCA Resignations

The Karnataka High Court, on suo motu notice of the incident, has stopped the police from acting against KSCA officials until the next hearing on June 16. It also asked the state government to file a status report by June 10.

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In the face of growing questions and public outrage, KSCA Secretary A. Shankar and Treasurer E.S. Jairam resigned. While KSCA still maintains that it played no part in crowd management outside the stadium, the resignations have been interpreted as an attempt to help take the heat out of the situation while investigations continue.

In the wake of the devastating stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 win celebrations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a big move. The tragic incident, which left 11 dead and some others injured, occurred as thousands of people had come to celebrate RCB's first IPL title. Following public outcry and grief, the issue was addressed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who promised preventive measures against such incidents in the future.

Talking to News18, Saikia explained, "Whatever has happened is very unfortunate. But we don't want to play the guilty game now." He explained that the official jurisdiction of the BCCI over the IPL is till the award presentation ceremony, and after that, franchises usually arrange their own celebrations. But due to the scale of the tragedy, Saikia announced that the board will now be implementing advisories to prevent such incidents in the future.

He went on to say, "From now on we will attempt to impose at least some advisory so that such incidents do not occur." This is a significant change in BCCI's policy on post-tournament activities, reflecting the board's readiness to intervene with instructions, even when not otherwise responsible, to guarantee the safety of participants and spectators during celebration of wins. 

BCCI Acts with Safety Regulations After Stampede Disaster

The stampede, which happened in the backdrop of congestion and lack of management during RCB's jubilant event, has initiated a national debate on the necessity for enhanced safety measures at large-scale cricket tournaments. With urban areas increasingly seeing huge turnouts at such events, experts have identified the need for better coordination between franchises, local administrations, and governing boards as a pressing priority.

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BCCI's forthcoming advisories are expected to outline crowd control measures, security protocols, and logistical planning recommendations. Although the board has kept away from making a direct accusation, its move is an attempt to be proactive about not repeating such a tragic event in the future. The decision has been received by many as a good step in the direction of fan safety and the uprightness of the sport.

The horrific stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 has now resulted in major legal proceedings. Bengaluru police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, marketing and revenue head for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Diageo India. Sosale was arrested at Bengaluru airport while allegedly trying to board a flight to Mumbai. The arrest is a part of the ongoing probe into the tragic crowd crush that killed 11 people and left 64 others injured while they were celebrating RCB's IPL 2025 victory.

Besides Sosale's arrest, three employees of DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd.—namely Kiran, Sumanth, and Sunil Mathew—have also been arrested. The organization had been in charge of hosting the victory party at the stadium. The three people were summoned to Cubbon Park Police Station for questioning, where the FIR is filed. The FIR identifies RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as accused in the case.

At the same time, the KSCA secretary and treasurer are said to be absconding. Police visits to their homes have been uneventful. This comes after the Karnataka government has faced unprecedented backlash for the way it handled the event, where allegations of mismanagement and a lack of care have ramped up. Several senior police officers, including Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, have been suspended by the state government for lapses in security.

Political Fallout and Public Outrage

The stampede has now become a political controversy, with the opposition BJP calling for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to resign. Eyewitnesses and reports have indicated that Shivakumar went on enjoying the celebration and posing for photos with the RCB players within the stadium despite news of the stampede breaking through.

🚨 BREAKING: Nikhil Sosale, RCB Marketing head has bedd arrested at the airport. pic.twitter.com/AJzP1p6I1P

— Tata IPL 2025 Commentary (@IPL2025Auction) June 6, 2025

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Public anger has continued to build, particularly at the seeming indifference of organizers and officials. As arrests are now progressing and main characters are being tagged as accused, the spotlight is still on ensuring accountability and justice for the victims and their kin.

The first IPL trophy celebration after an 18-year-long wait for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has gone horribly wrong after a stampede outside the home stadium that took away 11 lives, along with almost 50 injured victims. RCB and the co-organisers of the event have been booked under multiple sections.

Last Tuesday night (June 3), Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first-ever IPL trophy after beating Punjab Kings in the Final of the IPL 2025 by six runs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On the very next day, RCB organised a victory parade and public felicitation ceremony at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where the completed RCB team members were present to celebrate.  

Deadly stampede at outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium

Before the felicitation event at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, there was a stampede situation outside the stadium. That horrible incident resulted in 11 unfortunate deaths and almost 50 more reported injuries, some of which were serious. Despite the stampede incident, the felicitation event continued. 

In the initial report, the overcrowded situation outside the stadium was the main reason, while there wasn't enough security to handle the unexpected large gathering outside the stadium. The stadium has a 35000-seating capacity, and the crowd was more than two lakhs outside the venue.  

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FIR has been filed against RCB and co-organisers

The Cubbon Park Police in Bengaluru have charged the IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), event management company DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Some of these charges are as follows:

• BNS Section 105: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
• BNS Section 115: Voluntarily to cause hurt
• BNS Section 118: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means
• BNS Section 125: Act endangering life or personal safety of others
• BNS Section 132: Assault or criminal drone to deter public servant from discharge of their duty
• BNS Section 190: Unlawful assembly

According to the ESPNcricinfo report, RCB are at the first of the accusation list of the FIR. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered the suspension of the Inspector of the Cubbon Park police station. The CM further ordered the arrest of the representatives of each of the parties listed in the FIR.

In the meantime, CM added that his government handed over the enquiry to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and planned to appoint a commission to probe the tragedy.

A magisterial inquiry has been launched into the tragic stampede near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL triumph celebrations on Wednesday, June 4. The stampede claimed the lives of 11 people and injured over 50. G. Jagadeesha, the Bengaluru Urban district Deputy Commissioner, heading the investigation, declared that notices will be served on several parties involved, such as the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), RCB officials, event promoters, and City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda.

Jagadeesha personally went to the stadium on Thursday to inspect the ground and assured that a detailed inquiry is on the go. "I am launching the inquiry today and will not make any conclusions until facts are collected," he said in a statement to the media. He added that the probe would be finished within 15 days and a report would be given to the government. Jagadeesha also explained that he was not the officer who grants event permits, as this is the domain of the Police Commissioner.

The disaster has caused outrage among the public and political debate throughout the state. On this, the Karnataka State Government had previously declared a complete magisterial inquiry into the accident and vowed to prosecute those involved. The unruly crowd of an estimated thousand or more reportedly overwhelmed the capacity of the stadium, presenting a dangerous scenario that eventually degenerated into tragedy.

New SOPs for Crowd Control on the Way

State Home Minister G. Parameshwara, in his press statement after the incident, has assured that the government will introduce a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in order to better handle large public gatherings. The new norms will ensure safety for the future by improving the planning and crowd control.

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Parameshwara promised the public that action would be taken strictly against the administrative deficiencies that caused the stampede. "We are committed to identifying the gaps and making sure such an incident never happens again," he said, reiterating the government's commitment to putting public safety first.