BENGALURU, 17 JULY

The status report on the stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here that left 11 people dead has blamed the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), their event management partner M/s DNA Networks Private Ltd, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for unilaterally organising RCB's massive victory parade without prior permission or furnishing mandatory details to city authorities.

The report has been submitted to the High Court, government sources said.

According to the report, at about 6.30 pm, just hours before the IPL final between RCB and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad, the KSCA on behalf of DNA Networks Pvt Ltd submitted a letter of intimation to the Cubbon Park police station. The stampede killed 11 people and left at least 56 injured.

"Should RCB emerge victorious in the tournament, the management of RCB/DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited intends to plan potential victory parades around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, culminating in victory celebrations at the stadium. This was in the nature of an intimation, not a requisition for permission as required under the law," the report said.

However, the police denied permission due to the lack of critical information, including projected crowd size, event logistics, and crowd control measures. The proposal was also made on short notice, which precluded due processing.

Despite this, RCB unilaterally proceeded on 4 June, announcing a public 'Victory Parade' from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium via multiple social media posts starting at 7.01am.

A final post at 3.14pm announced that the parade would begin at 5pm and would be followed by stadium celebrations.

This post was the first to mention that free passes were available online, but it came after large crowds had already started gathering.

The posts garnered widespread attention, with the first four updates accumulating viewership figures of 16 lakh, 4.26 lakh, 7.6 lakh, and 17 lakh respectively.

This crowd estimate is supported by BMRCL ridership on 4 June, which saw 9.66 lakh commuters compared to a daily average of six lakh.

"Therefore, including those who travelled on foot, used public transport, and private means on June 4, the estimated gathering would be well beyond three lakh individuals," the statement said.

Authorities claimed that the essential details such as the number of participants, assembly point, timing, names and contact details of responsible organisers, and plans for traffic and crowd control, were entirely missing.

Furthermore, there was no signage or loudspeakers for public instructions, no trained staff for crowd management at entry gates and within seating areas, and no prior request for loudspeaker use or police bandobast.

The organisers also failed to pay for police deployment, as mandated. Despite the absence of coordination or approvals, the Bengaluru City Police implemented multiple measures to manage the situation on the ground.