Bengaluru: What was supposed to be a historic moment of joy turned into a horrifying tragedy for thousands of fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as a massive stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 claimed 11 lives and injured 47 others. The incident occurred as over two lakh people flocked to the stadium to celebrate RCB’s maiden IPL title win after 18 years.
The chaos erupted near the gates due to overcrowding, narrow entry points, and lack of proper crowd management. Several fans were trampled in the rush, including a 15-year-old girl, Divyanshi, whose family alleged delay in emergency response and FIR registration.
While most of the injured have been discharged, six people remain under treatment across Bengaluru hospitals.
Government & Legal Response:
The Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the tragedy and directed the State government to file a detailed status report by June 10. The government has admitted that it failed to prepare for such a massive crowd.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh to each victim’s family and assured free treatment for the injured. Meanwhile, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar expressed emotional grief and blamed the opposition for politicizing the incident.
No FIR, Only Unnatural Death Reports:
Shockingly, no FIRs have been registered. Instead, the Bengaluru Police filed 11 Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs)—a move that has drawn sharp criticism as UDRs do not entail criminal investigation.
RCB’s Response:
RCB management has pledged ₹10 lakh to each victim’s family and announced the creation of a relief initiative, “RCB Cares,” for injured fans.
Official Acknowledgment of Mismanagement:
Several ministers including Priyank Kharge and Yathindra Siddaramaiah admitted to lapses in planning. The Karnataka government now plans to introduce a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for managing large-scale public events.
Metro Chaos Mirrors Ground Situation:
On the day of the tragedy, Namma Metro recorded its highest ever ridership at 9.66 lakh. Poor gate management led to bottlenecks, compounding the city-wide chaos.
Public Outcry and Condolences:
Prominent voices like Sachin Tendulkar and Kamal Haasan expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, calling it “beyond tragic” and a moment for urgent introspection.
