Key Points

A tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebration claimed 11 lives and led to significant fallout. KSCA's secretary and treasurer resigned during an emergency meeting, accepting moral responsibility for the incident. Bengaluru Police filed an FIR against RCB and event organizers, highlighting serious crowd management concerns. The franchise has offered compensation to victims' families while legal proceedings continue to investigate the circumstances of this devastating event.

Key Points: KSCA Leaders Resign After Bengaluru Stadium Stampede Tragedy

  • KSCA secretary and treasurer resign accepting moral responsibility
  • RCB IPL victory celebration stampede killed 11 people
  • Police filed FIR against RCB and event organizers
  • Franchise offers Rs 10 lakh compensation to victims' families
3 min read

Bengaluru stampede: KSCA Secretary, Treasurer resign after emergency meeting

Two top KSCA officials resign following deadly RCB celebration stampede that killed 11 and sparked police investigation

"Due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events, we wish to state that we have tendered our resignation - A Shankar and ES Jairam, KSCA Officials"

Bengaluru, June 7

Two top Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials -- secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam -- resigned from their posts during an emergency managing committee meeting held on Saturday, accepting "moral responsibility" for stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The incident occurred during celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden IPL title win and claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured.

KSCA President Raghuram Bhat confirmed the development, saying that the resignations were discussed and accepted during an emergency meeting on Saturday.

"I had called an emergency managing committee meeting. Two of our members -- the secretary and treasurer -- have resigned on moral grounds. The committee has accepted their resignations. So far, nothing has come in. When the inquiry takes place, we have already told the government and the High Court that we will never shy away from anything that is there. We are ready to cooperate with the investigation," Bhat told reporters.

Speaking to ANI later, the KSCA said, "The two resignation letters have been accepted by the managing committee. Today, it was important to accept the resignations as it has already come into the public domain."

The stampede occurred during the celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title win on Wednesday, June 4. The incident sparked widespread concern regarding crowd management and safety arrangements at major public events.

The stampede left 11 people dead and several others injured. Communicating to KSCA on Friday night, both Shankar and Jairam wrote as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "Due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have unfolded in the last two days, and though our role was very limited, but owing moral responsibility, we wish to state that last night we have tendered our resignation to our respective posts as secretary and treasurer of the KSCA."

The Bengaluru Police also filed a first information report (FIR) against the popular IPL franchise on Thursday, as per ESPNCricinfo. The police have said that RCB was not given permission to conduct the event at the stadium. RCB has been listed as the first accused in the FIR, along with DNA Entertainment, the franchise's event partners, and the KSCA, which is in control of the stadium.

On Friday, the cops also confirmed the arrest of RCB's marketing and revenue head Nikhil Sosale, while acting on directives of newly appointed police commissioner SK Singh, who took over after his predecessor was removed by the chief minister Siddaramaiah after the incident.

Later that day, a writ petition was filed by KSCA, arguing that the FIR against them was a move made under pressure of state government by the police and hence a "knee-jerk" reaction.

KSCA said that the stampede was caused due to an unexpected crowd surge and no intent or motive could be attributed to the petitioners. They also stressed that the crowd management was a responsibility which lied with the franchise's management, event organisers and the police.

The council defending the state's cricket governing body also raised concerns about Sosale's arrest, claiming that it indicated a targeted approach. Sosale also approached the Karnataka High Court and challenged his arrest, as per Bar and Bench, an Indian legal news platform.

RCB is yet to issue an official statement on Sosale's arrest, though on Thursday, they announced compensation worth Rs 10 lakh for the family of each deceased and also pledged to cover the medical expenses of those who sustained injuries.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya M.
This is so heartbreaking 💔 While resignations are necessary, what about proper crowd management systems? We see this after every major event - authorities never learn. Stadiums should have mandatory capacity limits and emergency protocols. #BengaluruStampede
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Rahul K.
The resignations seem like a face-saving measure. The real issue is lack of coordination between police, KSCA and RCB. Why wasn't permission taken? Why no proper barricades? 11 lives lost because of pure negligence. Heads should roll higher up.
A
Arjun S.
As a cricket fan, this tragedy has ruined RCB's historic win. The compensation is good but can't bring back lives. The police commissioner change shows government is serious. Hope proper investigation happens without political interference.
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Sunita P.
Why is everyone blaming only officials? We Indians also need to learn crowd discipline. Pushing, rushing without patience - this happens at temples, railway stations everywhere. Safety is everyone's responsibility.
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Vikram J.
The KSCA's argument about "unexpected crowd surge" doesn't hold water. After RCB's 16-year wait, did they really expect a small crowd? Basic event planning 101 - anticipate maximum possible attendance. Complete failure of risk assessment.

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