The Karnataka High Court on Monday scheduled the hearing for June 10 on petitions filed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, both of whom have challenged the criminal cases registered against them in connection with the tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 that claimed 11 lives.
The stampede occurred during a public event organized to celebrate RCB’s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, where overcrowding at the stadium gates led to a fatal surge.
Petitions Challenging FIRs
Royal Challengers Sports Limited (RCSL), which owns RCB, contended in its petition that it had been wrongfully implicated in the case. RCSL asserted that it had communicated publicly via social media that only a limited number of passes were available for the event and that even free passes required pre-registration for entry.
The petition also alleged that a key lapse contributed to the tragedy—stadium gates that were supposed to open at 1:45 pm were only opened at 3:00 pm, triggering a sudden crowd surge and chaos.
DNA Entertainment, the event organizer, filed a separate petition asserting that the incident was primarily due to inadequate crowd control by the local police. According to its plea, a majority of police personnel had been stationed near Vidhana Soudha, leaving the stadium area significantly understaffed despite the increasing crowd.
Court Proceedings
During the hearing on Monday, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty requested the court to consolidate and hear all related petitions concerning the stampede incident on the same day. The High Court agreed to the proposal and granted time for filing objections.
The matter will now be taken up for further hearing on Tuesday, June 10.
