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The fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were elated after the team’s maiden IPL title win on June 3, 2025. The following day the team carried on the celebration in the city of Bengaluru, people thronged outside Vidhan Soudha where Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamiah felicitated the team, and post that, the felicitation victory event was continued at the M Chinaswamy Stadium. But soon, the joy of victory celebration turned into a sorrowful incident of a stampede outside the stadium in which 11 died and more than 50 people were injured.
In its status report submitted to the Karnataka High Court, the state government has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru accountable for the stampede. The report said, “The RCB Management, in association with its event management partner, DNA Networks Private Limited, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), unilaterally decided to hold the victory celebration without prior consultation with the police and without obtaining the necessary permissions or license for such celebration.” RCB continues to await the report of the CID investigation that is in its final stages. Members of RCB's top management along with those from DNA have all submitted their testimonies over the past month. A set date for the judgment is yet to be made public.
Report says that police denied the permission to hold the event at Chinaswamy Stadium
According to the state government, no formal permission was taken by the event organiser, merely informing the police about the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory parade on June 3, without seeking formal approval, as mandated by the 2009 city order. Consequently, the police denied permission. Despite police denial, RCB proceeded to publicly promote the event. On June 4, they shared open invitations on social media, including a video appeal by Virat Kohli, encouraging fans to attend the free-entry celebration, as per the report.
To witness the event of RCB’s first-time title win a huge crowd of nearly three lakh people had gathered. The massive turnout far exceeded expectations and crowd management capabilities. Due to overcrowding, at 3:14 PM on the day of the event, organisers abruptly announced that entry to the stadium would require passes, contradicting earlier messages and triggering confusion and panic. Following the tragic incident, the Karnataka government suspended top police officials at the Cubbon Park Police Station on June 5, and formed a one-man commission under a retired High Court Judge to probe the incident.
