Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) moves Karnataka HC to quash FIRs; hearing today

BENGALURU: In the wake of the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) filed a writ petition on Friday in the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the FIRs registered against it.The petition was submitted by KSCA President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A Shankar, and Treasurer ES Jairam, who collectively appealed for the cancellation of the FIRs.The matter is scheduled for hearing this afternoon before a bench headed by Justice Krishna Kumar.The association’s legal move comes amid rising scrutiny and investigations into the incident that claimed 11 lives and left many injured during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory celebrations.Gate No. 7 turns deadly amid free ticket rumoursGate No. 7 — located nearly 180 degrees opposite the main entrance of M Chinnaswamy Stadium — became a deadly trap for hundreds of RCB fans after rumours spread that free tickets would be distributed there.Within minutes, the area turned chaotic as massive crowds gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory. In the frenzy to get tickets, people trampled over each other, leading to panic and disorder.

The Bengaluru stadium has 21 stands and 13 gates. While most gates were open to the public, gates 9 and 10 were reserved for KSCA members. Gates 12, 13, and 14 saw the highest crowd concentration as they lined the team bus entry route. However, most casualties were reported near gate 7.No crowd managementPoor crowd management and dilly-dallying over allowing a victory parade through the city roads added to the unfolding tragedy. Avinash S, 31, from RR Nagar, was among those who narrowly escaped.

“There was an ambulance with 40 injured people inside. I was lucky to get out in time. Even police were struggling to manage the crowd,” he said.Fans were desperate for a celebrationFor 18 years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans passionately supported their team, enduring heartbreak as the franchise finished runners-up three times but never clinched the IPL trophy. Their hunger for a title became legendary, with each season intensifying the longing.

When RCB finally ended this wait by defeating Punjab Kings in the IPL final, it sparked wild celebrations across the city and beyond. Fans flooded the streets, danced in jubilation, and lit up the city on Tuesday night. When RCB announced at 7am Wednesday that the team would land in Bengaluru by noon and a victory parade would be taken out at 3.30pm, the ecstatic fans got turbocharged further. They started heading towards the stadium to catch a glimpse of Virat and other heroes.

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