The Karnataka government has reportedly blamed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during celebrations after their maiden IPL title in the 2025 season.
The government also mentioned on a video by Virat Kohli appealing to fans to attend the event, despite the city police denying permission.
The reports further said that the event organiser, DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited, had merely informed the police on June 03 of a planned victory parade but not sought formal permission, which is mandatory under a 2009 city order.
However, the police denied permission for such an event. The reports further said, RCB went ahead with the promotion of the event, issuing public invitations through social media and Virat Kohli video for fans to attend the ‘free entry’ event on June 04.
The celebration on June 04, the organisers announced that passes were required to gain entry into the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“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 licence for such celebrations,” said the report.
The report further said that the posts on RCB’s official social media handles garnered immense engagement online, with the first post receiving approximately 16 lakhs views, the second post receiving approximately 17 lakh views.
“Subsequently, on 04.06.2025, at 8:55 am, the RCB shared a video clip of Virat Kohli, a prominent player of the RCB team, on RCB’s official handle @ Rcbtweets on X, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate this victory with the people of Bengaluru city and RCB fans on 04.06.2025 in Bengaluru,” said the report.
“There was no requisition for permissions in the prescribed format, nor was any necessary information provided to the concerned departments to anticipate the gathering and make adequate preparations , as per the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009,” said Karnataka State Government.
The last-minute change in the open admission policy created panic among the fans in the streets of city.
The report also blamed the lack of coordination between RCB, DNA and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
