Karnataka HC appoints amicus curiae in Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case

In response to the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which led to the deaths of 11 people and left many injured, the Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and appointed Senior Advocate S Susheela as an amicus curiae, a friend of the court.

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The incident occurred on June 4 during a public event celebrating Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory. The bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice VM Kameshwar Rao and Justice CM Joshi, is currently handling the matter. During the latest hearing, the court directed its registry to hand over all relevant case documents, including a confidential status report submitted by the state government, to the amicus.

Entities such as the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., who are now part of the legal proceedings, have requested additional time to respond to the court’s queries.

A key point of discussion was whether the sealed status report should be made available to the public. While Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty emphasized that the amicus curiae must review the report to provide informed input, he also noted that the report contains preliminary details from ongoing investigations and should not yet be disclosed publicly.

However, some of the other lawyers and intervening applicants have urged the court to consider public interest and transparency by unsealing the report. The High Court has asked the amicus to assist in evaluating this issue and has scheduled the next hearing for July 1.