Bengaluru, July 17: The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday accepted the Justice Michael D'Cunha Commission report on stampede near Chinnaswamy stadium during RCB victory parade, where 11 people lost their lives and 47 others were injured and decided to file criminal cases against RCB, KSCA and others.
Justice D'Cunha had submitted the report to the government last Friday, where it had held RCB, Event Management Company DNA, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and pointed out at the police lapses during the RCB victory celebrations.
Following the stampede, where all the stakeholders started pointing fingers at each other and the government came under criticism for the lapses at the function organised Vidhana Soudha, the government had appointed one man Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by retired high court judge Justice Michael D'Cunha. The report submitted by the Commission placed the direct blame on RCB, DNA Entertainments and KSCA.
The report made damning revelations. It attributes the stampede to gross negligence, unprofessional planning, and a complete disregard for public safety by the Royal Challengers Bangalore team management, the event organisers DNA Entertainment Networks, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
The team management is accused of failing to ensure basic crowd control during the trophy celebration. According to the report, there was no structured planning, no coordination with civic authorities, and no real anticipation of the turnout.
DNA Entertainment, the event management firm, was found to have handled the event poorly. The company neglected basic safety protocols and permitted entry far beyond capacity limits. Their failure to create designated entry and exit routes significantly contributed to the bottleneck that triggered the stampede.
The KSCA, which governs the stadium, was also held responsible for failing to implement safety measures and properly prepare the venue and surrounding areas for an event of this magnitude.
The report states that no detailed crowd management plan was in place despite the expected attendance of over 1.5 lac fans. Shockingly, even basic infrastructure such as barricading, queue systems, medical aid stations, and emergency exits were either missing or grossly inadequate.
“There was a complete breakdown of communication between organisers, the police, and stadium authorities,” the report noted. “No preventive measures were taken despite visible signs of a developing crowd surge.”
The role of the police has also come under scrutiny. While a police presence was visible, the report finds that officers failed to act proactively. Warnings of overcrowding were ignored, and no attempt was made to reroute or disperse the crowd in a safe manner. The lack of coordination between the police, event organisers, and local authorities has been highlighted as a critical failure that directly led to the loss of life.
