Bengaluru:
The management of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face official scrutiny over a social media post announcing a public victory parade, made just hours before a deadly stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed at least 11 people and left 47 injured. The probe will also include senior members of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), whose role in planning the felicitation ceremony is now under review by Bengaluru Police and a magisterial inquiry panel.
The stampede occurred on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 4, during celebrations marking RCB’s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title victory after an 18-year wait.
At 3:14 pm on June 4, RCB’s official account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) posted an announcement confirming a “Victory Parade” scheduled to begin at 5 pm from the Vidhana Soudha to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, followed by a felicitation event inside the stadium. The post included a link for free passes, declaring “limited entry” and requesting fans to adhere to police guidelines.
🚨 RCB Victory Parade: Today at 5 pm IST. ‼️
Victory Parade will be followed by celebrations at the Chinnaswamy stadium.
We request all fans to follow guidelines set by police and other authorities, so that everyone can enjoy the roadshow peacefully.
Free passes (limited… pic.twitter.com/raJMXlop5O
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) June 4, 2025
“Victory Parade will be followed by celebrations at the Chinnaswamy stadium. We request all fans to follow guidelines set by police and other authorities so that everyone can enjoy the roadshow peacefully. Free passes (limited entry) available on shop.royalchallengers.com,” the post read.
The only communication from RCB before June 4 was through KSCA, which on June 3 sent a letter seeking permission to host a felicitation event at the Vidhana Soudha.
This directly contradicts the Karnataka government’s earlier assertion that the event was “planned at the last minute.” Bengaluru Police had suggested deferring celebrations by at least two days to allow proper planning.
Two simultaneous gatherings, one outside the Vidhana Soudha where the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Governor were scheduled to felicitate the RCB team, and the other at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, created logistical chaos.
While over one lakh people gathered outside the Vidhana Soudha, stadium estimates placed the crowd at upwards of three lakh. Bengaluru Police, already stretched thin, had redeployed significant personnel to secure the government complex, splitting police force at both venues.
This led to a breakdown in coordination, particularly at Gates 2, 2A, 6, 7, 16, 17, 18, and 21-points where crowd surges overwhelmed the available police and stadium staff.
