Stampede at Chinnaswamy: RCB, KSCA, Police and DNA Face Heat in Probe Report

Chinnaswamy Stadium Stampede: Judicial Probe Blames RCB, Police, KSCA, DNA Networks for Lapses.

Justice John Michael D’Cunha, former judge of the Karnataka High Court, has submitted his report on the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Appointed to head a one-man judicial commission, Justice D’Cunha’s report assigns direct responsibility to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), DNA Networks, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and the Bengaluru city police for the tragic incident that occurred on June 4.

According to sources familiar with the findings, the commission concluded that despite knowing the event was logistically unfeasible, all stakeholders “colluded to go ahead with it.” The report accuses the organisers and authorities of “gross negligence” and a “serious dereliction of duty”.

Security Failures and Delayed Response
The report underlines significant lapses in security arrangements. Only 79 police personnel were reportedly deployed inside the stadium, with limited presence outside. Emergency preparedness was also inadequate—there were not enough ambulances stationed at the venue.

One of the most damning observations was the delay in escalation. Although the stampede occurred at 3:25 PM, the Police Commissioner was only informed two hours later, at 5:30 PM. The Joint Commissioner of Police reached the stadium at 4 PM, nearly 35 minutes after the incident.

Miscommunication by RCB
The report also criticises RCB for creating confusion among fans regarding stadium entry and the availability of free passes. It notes that RCB was under pressure to conduct the event on the scheduled date as players were due to travel abroad. This urgency reportedly contributed to the chaos.

Inadequate Crowd Control
According to the commission, poor planning around crowd control and lack of proper barricading were key factors behind the stampede.

Recommendations
Justice D’Cunha’s report recommends that the Karnataka government formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing large public gatherings to prevent such incidents in the future.