Stampede was result of gross negligence: Probe

BENGALURU: The stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations on June 4 that claimed 11 lives was the result of “gross negligence and dereliction of duty” by multiple stakeholders, a judicial inquiry has revealed.

- Arun Dev

The report, compiled in two volumes, was submitted in the presence of key officials, including legal advisor and MLA AS Ponnanna and chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh on Friday. The government said the document will be taken up for discussion at the cabinet meeting scheduled for July 17.

Prepared by retired high court judge John Michael D'Cunha, the report named the RCB team management, event firm DNA Entertainment Networks, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and senior police officials as responsible for the lapses that triggered the deadly crowd surge outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

"There was a complete collapse of planning and coordination. Every agency involved — from the organisers to the police — ignored red flags," said a senior official familiar with the contents of the report.