RCB is Responsible; Police Don’t Have Alladin Ka Chirag: Tribunal

Bengaluru: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), in its inquiry into the deadly stampede incident that occurred on June 4 near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, has primarily held the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) responsible. The Tribunal has stated in favor of the Karnataka Police, emphasizing, “Police officers are also human. They are not gods, nor do they possess any magical powers. They don’t have Alladin Ka Chirag.”

The tragic incident claimed the lives of 11 individuals and left many others injured. Since the event was not organized by the BCCI, there had been ongoing public debate for a month regarding who was responsible — RCB, Karnataka State Cricket Association, the police, or the Karnataka state government — with a lot of blame-shifting involved.

In its verdict, the Tribunal stated that RCB’s franchise did not obtain prior permission from the police before promoting their June 4 celebration of the team’s first championship win on social media. As a result, an estimated crowd of 3 to 5 lakh people gathered near the stadium and in various parts of the city. RCB had neither taken the necessary permissions nor obtained police clearance for the event.

The Tribunal added that because RCB suddenly promoted the event without prior permissions, it led to a situation where a large crowd congregated unexpectedly. On the same day, government events were also being held at the Vidhana Soudha (State Assembly), for which police resources were already allocated. It further noted that when large crowds gather, maintaining law and order requires adequate preparation, which was not possible in such a short timeframe.

The Tribunal also overturned the Karnataka government’s suspension order of IPS officer Vikas Kumar Vikas, who was in charge of the stadium.

The Karnataka government had suspended several top officers, including Vikas Kumar. He challenged his suspension in court.