Bengaluru stadium tragedy: Grieving families recall the day of horror

It was supposed to be a moment of joy and celebration as a sea of red-and-gold converged at Bengaluru’s iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, June 4, to mark Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title win. But the festivities ended in heartbreak as a deadly stampede left 11 people dead and dozens more injured.

For many families across Karnataka, the day will now remain etched in memory for their devastating loss. Prajwal G., a 22-year-old employee at a private firm, was among the victims. A loyal RCB fan, he had been out the previous night, rejoicing with friends. His mother, Pavithra, begged him not to attend the stadium event. But like lakhs of other fans, he didn’t want to miss the moment. “By 5.30 p.m. I received a call. I rushed to the police station and then to Vydehi Hospital. There were unidentified bodies there. I went in hoping it wouldn’t be my son... my world collapsed as I saw Prajwal’s body.” Laying the blame squarely on the authorities, she said, “The government killed my son.”

A young life lost

Among the youngest killed in the incident was Divyanshi B.S., 14. A ninth grader and an ardent admirer of Virat Kohli, she had pleaded with her family to take her to the stadium. “She loved cricket. She was a dancer.... She wanted to become a veterinary doctor,” her mother, Ashwini U.L., said. “She just wanted to see her hero Virat Kohli up close.”

Manoj Kumar, 20, was a BBA student at a private college. His father, Devaraj N.T., a pani puri vendor, was watching television when news of the stampede flashed across the screen. He immediately tried to contact his son. “Someone else picked up the phone. I sensed something was wrong, and then the police called and asked me to come to Bowring Hospital. I didn’t have the courage to see his body. He had gone with two of his friends,” Mr. Devaraj said.

After meeting potential bride

For Poornachandra, 26, the visit to the stadium was spontaneous. A civil engineer working in Mysuru, he was in Bengaluru to meet a potential bride. “After meeting the girl’s family, he went to the stadium. We didn’t even know he was going,” said his father, R.B. Chandru, a resident of K.R. Pete in Mandya. “By 6 p.m., we received the call...”

Bhoomik Lakshman, 19, didn’t inform his father before heading to the stadium with friends. “At around 3 p.m., he video called his mother and showed her the crowd and celebrations. Later, we heard there was a stampede. I kept trying to reach him. He never answered,” said his father, Lakshman D.H., a resident of M.S. Ramaiah Layout in Bengaluru.

Shivalingu Chandappa, 17, had come to Bengaluru only to collect his transfer certificate. A native of Yadgir, he had just finished some academic formalities and decided to stop by the stadium. His father, Honnappa, a labourer from Honigeri village, was unaware of his son’s whereabouts. “We got the call in the evening. Shivalingu was no more,” he said.

Kamakshi Devi, 29, a techie from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and working in Bengaluru, was a passionate RCB fan. She had come with two colleagues. “We had a cousins’ get-together just two days ago. She was there with us,” her cousin Veerabahu Tamizh Selvan recalled. “And now she is gone. Her friends suffered fractures but survived,” he said.

Sahana Rajesh, 23, a software engineer from Kolar district, had dreams for herself and her younger sister. Her father Rajesh said, “She didn’t tell us she was going to the event. She wanted to support her sister in becoming a doctor. Now she’s no more.”

‘I lost her hand...’

Among the most gut-wrenching stories is that of Akshata Pai, 26, a chartered accountant from Uttara Kannada. She and her husband Ashay Ranjan had both taken half-day leaves to attend the celebrations after seeing RCB’s Instagram post. “We were excited. We held hands as the crowd surged near Gate 17,” Mr. Ranjan said. “Suddenly, people started pushing. We fell. We screamed. Someone rescued me, but I lost her hand.”

Shravan K.T., 20, was a second-year dental student from Chikkaballapur. He hadn’t informed his parents about his plans to attend the event. His friend, Vinuth, said, “He was mad about cricket and RCB. They never knew he had gone to the stadium.”

Not a fan, and yet

But not all who went to the stadium were cricket fans. Chinmayi Shetty, a 19-year-old engineering student from Doddakallasandra, wasn’t particularly passionate about the sport. But she joined her classmates for the outing. She hailed from Mangaluru and had spoken to her father just a few hours before tragedy struck. “She called me around 1.30 p.m. and said she was heading to the stadium. At 5.30 p.m. I got the call that she had died in the stampede. What will I do with the compensation the government is giving?” asked her father, Karunakara Shetty.

Published - June 05, 2025 08:26 pm IST