IPL begins at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru: 9 months on, no justice in sight for victims of the 2025 RCB victory stampede

The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League began in Bengaluru on Saturday, 28th March, with the first match of the tournament taking place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, are facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in what promises to be a thrilling start to the tournament that will go on for two months till the 31st of May. The inaugural match of the Indian Premier League (IPL), 2026, commencing at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday (March 28, 2026), is set to witness a high-octane contest between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).https://t.co/7DybJc38qu— The Hindu (@the_hindu) March 28, 2026 RCB will begin their title defence with a new captain in Rajat Patidar, while Sunrisers Hyderabad will be led by stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan after Pat Cummins was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. While the cricketing action is set to take centre stage again, this year’s opening carries a heavy emotional weight, as it marks the first match at the venue since last year’s tragic stampede that claimed 11 lives. The Chinnaswamy stampede tragedy The excitement around RCB’s historic IPL win last year quickly turned into horror on 4th June, when a stampede broke out outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium while celebrating their victory. The franchise had just ended its 18-year-long wait for an IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings in a thrilling final. A huge crowd had assembled to get a glimpse of the players during a victory parade and felicitation ceremony. However, there was a complete lack of proper planning and crowd management outside the stadium. In this tragic incident, at least 11 people lost their lives, including a child. More than 50 people got injured. #BREAKING Video: Virat Kohli takes part in celebrations inside Chinnaswamy stadium. Earlier, 11 people lost their lives in a stampede outside the Bengaluru stadium. Tune in to watch all the live updates here: https://t.co/epva74mnRN……#Stampede #Bengaluru #ChinnaswamyStadium… pic.twitter.com/whrJ7WAv5B— Republic (@republic) June 4, 2025 The injured people were immediately shifted to hospitals such as Bowring Hospital and Lady Curzon Hospital. However, the event inside the stadium was not completely cancelled but was shortened, drawing criticism from many quarters. Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar had said, “There was no fault of the police, as the crowd was beyond anyone’s control.” However, the statement did little to calm the outrage. Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia admitted lapses, saying, “Organisers should have planned RCB’s IPL-winning celebrations better.” No opening ceremony this year: BCCI The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided not to hold any opening ceremony for IPL 2026. This decision has been made as a tribute to the victims of last year’s tragedy. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said, “Due to last year’s tragic incident on 4th June, there will be no formal function on the day of the start of IPL-2026.”  “The BCCI is not organising any cultural or entertainment show… as a mark of respect to the departed souls,” he added. At the same time, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has reserved 11 permanent seats inside the stadium in memory of those who lost their lives. RCB players are also expected to wear jerseys with the number 11 during practice sessions as a tribute. Interestingly, while the opening ceremony has been cancelled, the IPL Governing Council is planning a grand closing ceremony on the day of the final, which may also be hosted in Bengaluru. All the accused have been granted bail  Despite the serious findings, all the accused in the case have been granted bail on 12th June, 2025, by the Karnataka High Court. Those granted relief include RCB’s marketing head Nikhil Sosale and three senior officials from DNA Entertainment Networks, director and vice-president Sunil Mathew, manager Kiran Kumar and ticketing official Shamant Mavinakere and Kiran Kumar. The interim relief was granted by the bench headed by Justice SR Krishnakumar. The court, while granting interim relief, directed the accused to surrender their passports. The petitions challenged the legality of their arrests, with the defence alleging procedural lapses. During the hearing, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty argued that RCB had played a key role in the incident. He told the court that the franchise’s social media posts had “invited the whole world” without providing clarity on entry or ticketing. According to the state, lakhs of people gathered outside the stadium due to this confusion, leading to a situation that quickly went out of control. CID probe points to major lapses  In November last year, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) completed its probe and is preparing to file a massive chargesheet running over 2,200 pages. The investigation has placed direct responsibility on RCB, KSCA, and DNA Entertainment Networks. According to media reports, the chargesheet includes CCTV footage, eyewitness testimonies, statements from injured victims, and accounts from police personnel present on duty. The findings highlight serious lapses in planning and coordination. Investigators found that there was no proper crowd-management plan in place. There was also no clear security blueprint from the event organisers, and crucial decisions taken before the event were not communicated to the police. One of the key triggers identified by the CID was confusion around ticketing. The probe suggests that unclear communication led to a massive crowd gathering outside the stadium, far beyond its capacity of around 35,000 people. The report also points out that private security arrangements failed to handle the situation, leading to uncontrolled crowd pressure and eventually the stampede. High court closes suo motu PIL On 26th February this year, the Karnataka High Court closed the suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that it had initiated after the stampede. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha also noted the state government’s submission that it has proposed the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd At Events And Venues Of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025, for effective management and control of crowds at sponsored events and venues of mass gathering, including political rallies, jatras, conferences, etc. The government has also introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for crowd management, which will be implemented until the proposed law is passed. The court accepted these measures and disposed of the petition, effectively bringing an end to judicial monitoring of the case at this stage. Justice still elusive for victims As IPL returns to Chinnaswamy Stadium with packed stands and renewed excitement, the memories of last year’s tragedy remain fresh for many families. While theatrics like cancelling the opening ceremony and reserving seats have been made, questions around justice continue to linger. The CID has pointed to clear lapses of the incident. The courts have granted bail to the accused. The PIL has been closed. The victims’ families are still waiting for justice. In many ways, the story of the Chinnaswamy stampede is not just about a tragic incident, but also about what followed: delays, legal battles, and a lack of closure.