Bengaluru: The Karnataka government, in a status report submitted to the High Court, has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) accountable for organising the June 4 IPL victory celebration without prior coordination or permission from law enforcement. The report is linked to the tragic stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead and several injured.

Despite the state government’s request to keep the report confidential, the High Court directed its disclosure to all concerned parties, including the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), RCB, and event management firm DNA Entertainment.

According to the report, RCB went ahead with inviting the public to its victory parade and stadium celebration without consulting Bengaluru Police. The franchise only informed the police about the event on June 3, merely as an update and not as a formal request for permission. As per protocol, applications for large-scale public gatherings must be submitted at least seven days in advance.

Since no formal application was submitted, the jurisdictional Cubbon Park police denied permission.

Despite this, on the morning of June 4, RCB posted on social media, inviting fans to a free-entry celebration parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium. The second post, shared at 8:00 am and again later at noon, gathered over 4.4 million views, according to the report. RCB posted a video of cricketer Virat Kohli urging fans to join, which contributed to a turnout of over 3 lakh people.

Just hours before the event, RCB informed the public that limited pass entry would be permitted. This last-minute change led to widespread confusion and anger, with many fans already waiting outside the stadium, believing it to be an open-access event.

As crowds surged and organisers failed to open gates on time, stampede-like situations erupted at multiple entry points, including gates 2, 2a, 6, 7, 1, 17, 18, 20 and 21. Police forces were deployed hastily to manage the chaos, which stretched across several kilometres.

The report further underlined that the celebration event was not called off as it would have triggered violence. The risk of large-scale rioting both within the stadium premises and throughout Bengaluru necessitated this careful balancing approach, prioritising overall public safety over immediate event cessation, the report added.

The report further stated that, "It is common and known in law and order situations that cancellation of anticipated events can incite the crowd tremendously and lead to widespread mob violence, as has been seen in several events where such decisions have been taken."