Key Points

Speaking with Bhumik's father, D.T. Lakshman, R. Ashok said that while a lost life cannot be brought back, he assured the family of justice for the incident.

Addressing the media later, R. Ashok said the family is deeply saddened by the death of Bhumik, an engineering student. He noted that the family employs 30 workers on their farmland and is financially stable, but the loss of their only son is irreplaceable. He added that everyone, including the family, believes that postponing the RCB celebration by two or three days could have prevented this tragedy. The cricket celebration has caused pain to people, and justice must be served for these deaths.

"The CM and Deputy CM have gone to Delhi. The people in Delhi (Congress high command) are confused. They say it happened at the cricket stadium, then at Vidhana Soudha... They're saying there will be a cabinet expansion tomorrow - they're using it to divert attention from the stampede incident. We should not fall prey to Congress' conspiracy. Action must be taken against the Chief Minister. The CM and DCM must be replaced. If they haven't done anything wrong, hand over the case to the CBI. The families of the deceased are saying the government is at fault. KSCA and RCB have said they are not to blame. In the competition to bring in people, tweets were made. RCB should have tweeted -- why did the CM tweet?"

Bhumik's father expressed that no parent should endure such a tragedy. He has spent two to three days grieving near his son's burial site. He emphasised that such incidents should not recur in the future. Despite police warnings against holding the event, they were not heeded, which is evident to all. A proper investigation is needed, and the fight for justice will continue, he said.

Speaking further, Bhumik's father, Lakshman, questioned why the government failed to realise that such an event should not be held amid such a large crowd. He said that children like theirs have lost their lives, and while the government has provided compensation, he questioned whether money could replace their loss.

He praised R. Ashok and other leaders for their support, noting that they responded promptly and made necessary arrangements after the incident. He clarified that their assistance was not politically motivated but was provided out of humanity.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court heard the petition filed by the Marketing and Revenue Head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Nikhil Sosale, today. The petition was filed to challenge the legality of his arrest in connection with the stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium. The court rejected the prayer for interim relief and said it would hear the Advocate General of the state on Wednesday.

- ANI