Chinnaswamy Stampede: Karnataka HC awaits govt’s response in high-stakes hearing

The Karnataka High Court is set to conduct a critical hearing today regarding the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which claimed 11 lives and injured over 50 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. The court, led by Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice CM Joshi, has demanded a detailed government report addressing nine specific questions to uncover the lapses behind the disaster. These include who authorized the event, traffic and crowd control measures, medical facilities arranged, crowd size estimates, emergency response at the site, time taken to hospitalize the injured, the existence of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for large gatherings, and whether the event had proper permissions.

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The state government, represented by Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, is expected to submit a comprehensive report, likely pointing to failures by RCB, event organizers DNA Entertainment, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and the police. The suspension of senior officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Central Division DCP T Shekhar, and three ACPs, underscores the gravity of the security lapses. South Division DCP Lokesh B Jagalaskar is preparing a detailed police bandobast report, specifying officer deployments, their locations, and duties during the event. Questions linger about whether officers were at their posts or distracted, with a tower dump analysis included to track their movements.

The court’s directive for a judicial probe by retired Justice John Michael D’Cunha and the arrests of RCB and DNA officials signal accountability efforts. Public and political outrage, coupled with the court’s scrutiny, has heightened anticipation for today’s hearing outcomes.