Karnataka Points Finger at Police for Bengaluru Stampede Tragedy

18th July 2025 at 10:46 AM

1 minute read

A full city victory parade covering major stretches of Bengaluru - from Vidhana Soudha to MG Road and beyond - was originally suggested by the city police.

In a significant shift, the Karnataka government has redirected blame for the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations on June 4, which claimed 11 lives and injured over 50 people, from the event organizers to the state’s own police force. The government’s revised stance was presented to the Karnataka High Court, where it argued that police failures in security and permission protocols were primarily responsible for the disaster. This marks a departure from its earlier position, which held RCB solely accountable.

During a hearing before Justices SG Pandit and TM Nadaf, the state contended that the police should have formally objected to the event, which lacked official permission, and refused to provide security. This argument contrasts with a status report filed six weeks prior in a related suo motu public interest litigation, where the government defended the police response as prompt and necessary while pinning the blame on RCB.

The state justified its decision to suspend five police officers, including former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, citing “dereliction of duty.” Senior counsel PS Rajagopal, representing the government, told the court that the officers failed to inform the public about safety measures, consult with superiors, or address the lack of formal authorization for the event, leading to what the state described as “embarrassment.” The suspensions followed a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ruling on July 1, which overturned the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, deeming it “mechanical” and lacking sufficient evidence. The tribunal ordered Vikash’s immediate reinstatement as additional police commissioner.

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The stampede occurred when over 300,000 fans gathered near Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a capacity of just 35,000, to celebrate RCB’s IPL victory. The government’s earlier report had emphasized RCB’s role in attracting the massive crowd, which overwhelmed the venue and led to the deadly incident.