Bengaluru: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), set up to probe the stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives on June 4, has held the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket team prima facie responsible for the massive crowd that gathered there.
In its remarks, the tribunal noted: “Prima facie it appears that the RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered.”
According to India Today, the Tribunal was critical of the RCB’s last-minute announcement of the celebration, calling it a “nuisance”. “Suddenly, the RCB created the aforementioned type of nuisance without any prior permission. It cannot be expected from the Police that within a short time of about 12 hours, the police will make all arrangements required in the Police Act or in the other rules, etc,” the tribunal said in the order.
RCB, a day after its maiden IPL victory, posted on social media about a victory parade celebration on June 4. The Tribunal also defended the role of the police, stating: “Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither ‘God’ (Bhagwan) nor Magician and also not having the magic powers like ‘Alladdin ka Chirag’ which was able to fulfil any wish only by rubbing a finger.”
The Tribunal has also stated that the police were not given adequate time to make the necessary preparations. “Because of a shortage of time on June 4, 2025, the police were unable to make the appropriate arrangements. Sufficient time was not given to the police,” the Tribunal held while hearing the petition by a Bengaluru police officer who challenged his suspension.
The order added that members of the public were present in large numbers on the night between June 3 and 4, and the police were occupied managing them. Simultaneously, another function had been organised by the state government at Vidhana Soudha, further stretching the force.
It concluded that to control such a gathering and make the necessary arrangements, the police require sufficient time and prior intimation, which was not given in this case.
