Karnataka govt told HC only 1,000 cops were deployed at RCB event, disputing DK Shivakumar’s claim of 5,000. HC takes suo motu cognisance of tragedy.
Bengaluru, June 5 — The Karnataka government has clarified before the High Court that slightly over 1,000 police personnel were deployed at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL celebration event, contradicting Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s earlier assertion that 5,000 officers were on duty.
This update comes a day after the Deputy CM made the claim publicly amid growing scrutiny following a stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured dozens. The state’s submission was made during a hearing where the Karnataka High Court took suo motu cognisance of the tragic incident.
Appearing before the bench of Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwara Rao and Justice CM Joshi, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty said, “We are not taking an adversarial approach. We are willing to follow any directive issued by this Hon’ble Court.”
The court observed, “The intent to celebrate has led to a tragedy. We are intervening to determine the causes, assess whether it was preventable, and recommend future safeguards.”
The government noted that high-ranking officers—including the City Police Commissioner, DCPs, and ACPs—were on duty. Additional resources such as water tankers, ambulances, and command-and-control vehicles were also stationed, reportedly exceeding previous match-day deployments.
Despite the security measures, chaos unfolded due to an unexpected crowd surge of over 2.5 lakh people, many of whom believed entry to the event was free. The stadium has a seating capacity of 35,000, with only 30,000 tickets typically released.
According to the state’s counsel, by noon, large crowds had begun assembling and by 3 PM, the area had become impassable. Attendees reportedly included individuals from outside Karnataka. A site map presented to the court revealed where the fatalities occurred: four deaths near Gate 7, three at Gate 6, and four at Queens Road.
When questioned, the state confirmed the stadium has 21 entry gates, all of which were open during the event. People had also been allowed inside the stadium.
Responding to queries about a crowd control Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the state admitted that a formal SOP was not in place but emphasized that work on it had begun immediately after the incident, following directions from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The state further clarified that RCB and its event management team were responsible for ticketing and crowd management. An FIR has been registered and notices have been issued to the concerned parties to examine any negligence.
The bench directed that the case be officially treated as a suo motu matter and instructed the registry to ensure follow-up reports include specific points to be determined by the court. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on Tuesday.
