Bangaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday squarely blamed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead, telling the High Court that no permission had been sought for the event and the organisers had instead “invited the whole world” through social media.
This came during the resumed hearing of petitions filed by four individuals, including RCB’s marketing head Nikhil Sosale, who have challenged the legality of their arrests in connection with the incident. The matter is being heard by a single judge bench of Justice SR Krishna Kumar.
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, appearing for the state, told the court that the state government named the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as one of the parties responsible for the incident, arguing that there was an agreement between RCB and BCCI regarding security, gate and ticket management for the event. “It was as if they invited the whole world,” said the Advocate General, pointing to multiple social media posts by RCB encouraging all fans to attend the victory parade without clarifying ticketing or entry protocols. He said that while the stadium could accommodate only 33,000 people, nearly 3.5 to 4 lakh people gathered at the gates. “They posted saying all supporters are invited to cheer,” he said, adding that these actions led to large-scale confusion, injuries and deaths.
The Advocate General told the court that no official permission had been sought for either the parade or the celebratory ceremony at the stadium. He said the organisers violated the law by not applying for procession and event licences at least seven days in advance. He further added that the state received only an intimation letter from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and not a formal request seeking permission for the event.
While earlier submissions had referred to a tri-partite agreement between RCB, DNA and KSCA, the Advocate General clarified in court that the agreement was, in fact, between RCB and BCCI. He emphasised that under the terms of that agreement, responsibilities for gate control, ticketing and security rested solely with RCB.
He added that the event was illegal and that a magisterial and judicial inquiry was ordered soon after. The state had transferred the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and suspended certain police officials, who were replaced immediately. “We cannot keep the post vacant,” the Advocate General said, referring to the appointment of a new commissioner.
