Bengaluru: CAT holds RCB prima facie responsible victory parade stampede

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has observed that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket team is, prima facie, responsible for the tragic stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured many in Bengaluru on June 4.

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In its recent order, the tribunal pointed out that RCB’s last-minute social media announcement of its IPL victory parade led to an unmanageable crowd estimated at three to five lakh people. “The RCB did not take appropriate permission or consent from the police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and, as a result, the public gathered,” the tribunal remarked.

The CAT called the last-minute celebration plan a “nuisance” and noted that it was unrealistic to expect the police to make foolproof arrangements overnight. “Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither ‘God’ nor magicians. They do not possess ‘Alladdin ka Chirag’ to fulfil any wish instantly,” the tribunal stated while defending the role of the police in the mishap.

The case was heard after a suspended Bengaluru police officer challenged his suspension, arguing that the tragedy was not due to police negligence but poor planning by the RCB. The tribunal agreed that the police did not have adequate time to arrange crowd control measures.

Adding to the strain, another large state government event at Vidhana Soudha on the same day stretched police resources thin. The CAT concluded that sufficient prior intimation is crucial for managing large gatherings and stressed that the responsibility lay with the organizers to ensure public safety by coordinating with authorities in advance.