The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has held the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) primarily responsible for the deadly stampede that occurred on June 4, 2025, outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s IPL victory celebrations. In a scathing order, the tribunal observed that RCB failed to obtain proper permission or police consent before announcing the parade, leading to a crowd surge of nearly 3 to 5 lakh people.
According to the Bengaluru bench of the tribunal, comprising Justice B.K. Shrivastava and administrative member Santhosh Mehra, the sudden announcement of the event on social media platforms triggered an uncontrolled public gathering. “RCB is responsible for the gathering… The team did not seek police consent. Suddenly, they posted on social media and the public gathered as a result,” the order noted.
The stampede resulted in the deaths of 11 people and raised serious questions about the lack of coordination and crowd control. In response, the Karnataka government had suspended three senior IPS officers—Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, DCP Shekar H. Tekkannavar, and Additional Commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash. However, the tribunal has now quashed the suspension order against Vikash, citing inadequate time given to the police for arrangements.
The tribunal also criticized the state government’s approach, noting that law enforcement had already been deployed for another official event at Vidhana Soudha. The sudden announcement by RCB created a “nuisance,” and the police, already stretched thin, were unable to manage both events effectively.
“Police are not gods or magicians. They don’t have the magic powers of ‘Alladdin ka Chirag’ to fulfill sudden demands,” the tribunal stated in its order, emphasizing the unrealistic expectations placed on police personnel under extreme time constraints.
The ruling shifts significant accountability for the tragic incident to the organizers, reinforcing the need for structured planning and official approvals before mass public events.
