Bengaluru Stampede: Top Police Officials Suspended, Judicial Probe Ordered After 11 Killed in RCB IPL Celebration Chaos

In the wake of a deadly stampede that killed 11 people and injured over 30 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday suspended several senior police officers and announced a judicial inquiry into what he called a “completely avoidable tragedy.”

Among those suspended are Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, Additional Commissioner (West) Vikash Kumar Vikash, Central DCP Shekhar H. Tekkannavar, and multiple officers from the Cubbon Park Police Station, including the ACP, Station House Officer, and Stadium in-charge.

The Chief Minister has appointed a one-man commission led by retired Karnataka High Court Judge Michael D’Cunha to investigate the incident. “Under the chairmanship of Justice Michael D’Cunha, we have appointed a one-man commission to investigate the incident,” Siddaramaiah stated, emphasising accountability. He also ordered the arrest of representatives from RCB, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks, citing “prima facie negligence and apathy” as the cause of the tragedy. The tragedy unfolded when a temporary slab near Gate 4 collapsed, triggering panic and a deadly stampede as fans jostled to enter the already packed stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 — a fraction of the turnout. Despite social media outrage and ‘police objections’, the felicitation event went ahead as scheduled following RCB’s historic first IPL title win over Punjab Kings. “We underestimated the crowd,” the CM admitted.

Karnataka government has handed over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A Special Investigation Team (SIT) within the CID has been formed to ensure a thorough and independent probe into the incident.

An FIR has been filed against RCB, KSCA, and DNA Entertainment for culpable homicide and negligence, with the case transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The Karnataka High Court took suo-motu-cognisance, demanding a status report on crowd control measures. RCB announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for victims’ families and launched “RCB Cares” to aid the injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “absolutely heartrending,” while former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty expressed condolences. The government has promised Rs 10 lakh for the deceased’s kin and is formulating a new Standard Operating Procedure for mega events to prevent future tragedies.​