RCB victory parade stampede: Karnataka govt report blames RCB, DNA Network, KSCA

A report on the stampede at the Chinnaswamy stadium that left 11 people dead has blamed the Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB their event management partner Ms DNA Networks Private Ltd and the Karnataka State Cricket Association KSCA for unilaterally organising RCBs massive victory parade and celebration without prior permission or furnishing mandatory details to city authorities reported the PTIThe report has been submitted to the Karnataka High Court government sources saidAccording to the report at about 630 pm just hours before the IPL final between RCB and Punjab Kings PBKS in Ahmedabad the KSCA on behalf of DNA Networks Pvt Ltd submitted a letter of intimation to the Cubbon Park police station according to the PTIShould RCB emerge victorious in the tournament the management of RCBDNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited intends to plan potential victory parades around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium culminating in victory celebrations at the stadium This was in the nature of an intimation not a requisition for permission as required under the law the report said the news agency reportedHowever the police denied permission due to the lack of critical information including projected crowd size event logistics and crowd control measures The proposal was also made on short notice which precluded due processingDespite it the RCB unilaterally proceeded on June 4 announcing a public Victory Parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium via multiple social media posts starting at 701 am as per the PTIA final post at 314 pm announced that the parade would begin at 500 pm and would be followed by stadium celebrationsThe post was the first to mention that free passes were available online but it came after large crowds had already started gatheringThe posts garnered widespread attention with the first four updates accumulating viewership figures of 16 lakh 426 lakh 76 lakh and 17 lakh respectivelyThis crowd estimate is supported by BMRCL ridership on June 4 which saw 966 lakh commuters compared to a daily average of six lakhTherefore including those who travelled on foot used public transport and private means on June 4 the estimated gathering would be well beyond three lakh individuals the statement said reported the PTIThe report emphasised that the organisers never formally sought police permission in the prescribed format as mandated by the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions Bangalore City Order 2009It clarified that merely submitting an intimation does not amount to seeking permission particularly for events involving large public gatherings in central BengaluruAuthorities claimed that the essential details such as the number of participants assembly point timing names and contact details of responsible organisers and plans for traffic and crowd control were entirely missingThis lack of information prevented police from assessing the events scale or planning adequate safety measuresFurthermore there was no signage or loudspeakers for public instructions no trained staff for crowd management at entry gates and within seating areas and no prior request for loudspeaker use or police bandobast according to the PTIThe organisers also failed to pay for police deployment as mandated by the Government Order dated May 22 2019 the report saidDespite the absence of coordination or approvals the Bengaluru City Police implemented multiple measures to manage the situation on the groundA meeting was convened at 10 am on June 4 at the office of the Joint Commissioner of Police where traffic and law enforcement planning was finalised PTI reportedA total of 654 traffic personnel were deployed including 4 DCPs 6 ACPs 23 PIs 57 PSIs 104 ASIs and 462 constablesThe route taken by the RCB team from HAL to Taj West End Vidhana Soudha and finally Chinnaswamy Stadium was regulated to minimise disruptionA traffic advisory and map were released through press social media and FM radio advising the public to avoid central areas and use Metro or other public transport due to limited parking Nine diversion points were created and 125 barricades installed with an additional 11 barricading zones added as a precaution Local schools were requested to close by noon as per the PTIBMTC deployed its Sarathi teams and the EPath app was activated for ambulance management A dedicated control room monitored traffic movements throughout the eventEight major sectors were identified where police personnel were stationed to regulate and manage the publicThe report concluded that RCB DNA Networks and KSCA ignored standard procedures and safety measures leading to violations and potential public safety risksTheir failure to obtain permission and coordinate with authorities ahead of time left the city administration with no option but to respond reactively to an event that had already gained momentum through social media mobilisationRecognising the need for accountability within the law enforcement hierarchy the government took action against police officials on June 5 2025A Government Order suspended five police officers including three IPS officers of significant rank the Commissioner of Police the Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police alongside the Assistant Commissioner of Police for Cubbon Park and the Police Inspector of Cubbon Park the report said PTI GMSA report submitted to the High Court has blamed Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB their event partner DNA Networks Pvt Ltd and the Karnataka State Cricket Association KSCA for organising a large victory parade without proper permission The stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium led to 11 deaths as per a PTI news reportAccording to government sources the organisers did not give the required details to the police or follow legal procedures On the day of the IPL final between RCB and Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad KSCA sent a letter to Cubbon Park Police at around 630 pm saying they might plan a parade if RCB won However this was just an intimation not a formal request for permissionThe police denied permission because the organisers didnrsquot share key details like expected crowd size event plan or safety measures The request also came at the last minute giving no time for proper planningDespite this on 4 June RCB announced a public parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium via social media The first post went out at 701 am and a final update at 314 pm said free passes were available But by then large crowds had already gatheredThe posts got huge attention with the first four posts getting views of 16 lakh 426 lakh 76 lakh and 17 lakh On that day Metro BMRCL saw 966 lakh passengers compared to a usual 6 lakh indicating a huge public turnout estimated at over 3 lakh peopleThe report pointed out that the organisers never followed the rules laid out in the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions Bangalore City Order 2009 They didnrsquot submit the mandatory event details such as time place organisers names safety plans or ask for police supportThere were no loudspeakers or signs to guide the crowd no trained staff at the gates or inside the stadium and no prior request for police support or loudspeaker use The organisers also didnrsquot pay for police deployment as required by government rules from May 2019Despite having no formal approval Bengaluru Police tried to manage the situation A meeting was held at 10 am on 4 June to plan traffic and crowd control In total 654 traffic police were deployed including senior officersRCBrsquos parade route from HAL to Taj West End then Vidhana Soudha and the stadium was managed to avoid chaos Police issued traffic advisories and advised the public to use public transport Nine traffic diversions were set up and 125 barricades were placedOther services like BMTC ambulance teams and control rooms were also mobilised to handle the crowd Police covered eight key sectors to manage public safetyThe report said that RCB DNA Networks and KSCA ignored laws and safety norms which led to major violations and risks Their failure to coordinate with city authorities forced the administration to act only after the crowd had already built up due to online announcements reported the PTIAs a result on June 5 2025 the government suspended five police officers for not handling the event properly These included three top IPS officers the Police Commissioner Inspector GeneralAdditional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner as well as the Assistant Commissioner and Inspector of Cubbon Parkwith PTI inputs