Bengaluru: In a shocking turn of events that has sparked outrage across Karnataka, the state government has filed a report before the High Court squarely blaming the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) management for the tragic stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 innocent fans and injured more than 50 others during the team’s victory parade.
In the report, the government has accused the RCB team of acting unilaterally and irresponsibly, inviting thousands of fans for a grand celebration without following basic protocols or seeking proper permissions from the Bengaluru City Police. The government claimed that the RCB board’s decision to go ahead with the parade without prior clearance was a blatant violation of safety norms — one that cost lives.
Yet while the government has conveniently pinned the blame on RCB, serious questions are now being raised about the role of the state administration itself. How could the police, home department, and top bureaucrats remain mute spectators as lakhs gathered outside the stadium without any crowd control measures in place? And why did senior police officers, instead of upholding the law, “behave like servants of RCB”, as the government itself admitted in court?
According to Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, appearing for the state, senior IPS officers acted beyond their brief and allowed the event to proceed despite knowing that permission had neither been formally requested nor granted. Even more damning, the suspension orders for the responsible officers were issued only two days after the disaster, suggesting that action was taken as an afterthought — more to salvage the government’s image than to deliver justice.
The government has also argued that the RCB only “informed” the police of the parade as a courtesy but did not file a formal request seven days in advance, which is mandatory for mass gatherings. In its report, the government further highlighted that the local police began planning security arrangements as if it was an approved event — without ever verifying who had given the green light.
However, opposition parties, civic groups, and victims’ families have hit out at the Congress government for what they see as a brazen attempt to cover up its own administrative failures by scapegoating the cricket franchise. They point out that the same report admits that the police “should have issued prohibitory orders under the Police Act” to stop the uncontrolled crowding — but chose not to.
“The government is shamelessly washing its hands off a tragedy that happened due to its own apathy,” said BJP leader CN Ashwathnarayan, adding, “Instead of fixing accountability and compensating victims properly, they are playing a blame game. The police, the home ministry, and senior cabinet members must answer how such a massive gathering was allowed in the heart of the city without any barricades, crowd barriers, or medical teams on standby.”
Legal experts have also questioned the state’s plea to keep its report confidential. The High Court has refused to entertain this, reminding the government that there is no provision under Indian law to hide such crucial information from the public when lives were lost due to official negligence.
The tragedy has also exposed the hollow claims of the ruling Congress government about ensuring public safety during mega events. Families of victims, meanwhile, are demanding accountability beyond mere suspensions. “Who will bring back my brother? What will suspending one or two officers do when the entire system failed?” asked Mahesh Kumar, whose 19-year-old sibling was among the dead.
While RCB may have acted carelessly by calling fans in thousands to a congested area without a clear plan, the government’s own lapses are glaring. The argument that the police had just 12 hours to prepare does not absolve them of their duty to maintain law and order. If permission was never granted, why was the event not stopped?
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