Bengaluru Urban DC summons those injured in stampede for inquiry

Bengaluru DC investigates RCB stampede, records victim statements, aims to complete inquiry in 15 days.

A day after beginning his inquiry into the stampede that occurred during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory event, Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Jagadeesha recorded statements of a batch of people who were injured during the incident on June 4.

Some of the victims arrived with neck belts or casts on their body parts to attend the inquiry, along with their family members. Rahul, Monish Gowda, Rajesh M.G., and Syed Abu Jaffer were some of the victims who arrived for the inquiry.

“I fell down near Gate 21 of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium when they announced that free tickets were being given. I was initially not aware of the stampede, and later, around 5.20 p.m., my father called and informed me about it. When I tried to get to a safe space, I fell down and my leg got stuck in a barricade. I was taken to the hospital as I had suffered some injuries,” Mr. Gowda, a 20-year-old civil engineer, said.

He said, “The DC asked whose fault it was. I informed him that when the police tried to make way for the RCB bus, there was pushing from the crowd and that is what led to the incident.”

The Deputy Commissioner had summoned 45 victims of the incident along with other stakeholders, including the management of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, representatives of DNA, the event management company, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association.

On June 5, a day after the tragedy occurred, Mr. Jagadeesha visited the stadium as part of his probe. He had also inspected the spots where the stampedes occurred. He had said that the inquiry would be completed in 15 days.

Mr. Jagadeesha was appointed as the inquiry officer on June 4. He was instructed to provide a report detailing the sequence of events and the lapses that occurred, leading to the stampede which claimed 11 lives while injuring several others.