Bengaluru | Jul 17, 2025 : In a damning report submitted to the Karnataka High Court, the state government has revealed that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) invited the public to their IPL victory parade without securing police permission, a misstep that contributed to the stampede which claimed 11 lives on June 4, 2025.

Despite the government’s request to keep the findings confidential, the High Court ordered the report be made public, noting no legal basis for secrecy.

No Proper Application, No Green Signal
RCB contacted the police on June 3, just hours after their historic IPL win, ending an 18-year drought, but only to inform, not to formally seek permission, as required by law.
“No applications in the prescribed formats were submitted,” the report states, adding that such events need permission at least seven days in advance.

Due to the absence of key details like crowd estimates and safety measures, the Cubbon Park Police Station did not grant permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which made a request late in the evening of June 3.

Social Media Blitz Ignited Crowd Surge
Ignoring protocol, RCB went public early on June 4. A 7:01 AM post on their official social media handles invited the public for a free-entry victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium without police consultation.

An hour later, at 8:55 AM, RCB shared a video of Virat Kohli calling on fans to join the celebrations. Another post at 3:14 PM added that free passes (limited) were available on their website, but until then, all communication had indicated the event was open for all.

Over 3 Lakh People Flooded the Streets
The posts triggered massive engagement, 44 lakh views and a spontaneous gathering of over 3,00,000 people. The report cites BMRCL metro data, which showed 9.66 lakh commuters on June 4, well above the daily average of 6 lakh.

Crowds also swarmed the 14 km route from HAL Airport (where the team landed) to their hotel, eager to catch a glimpse of the players. The police had to rapidly deploy forces across multiple locations to manage the situation.

Report Points to Organiser Negligence
The government has squarely blamed RCB’s unilateral decision-making for the chaos. “This impromptu gathering… arose due to a lack of proper planning by the organisers and the failure to provide necessary information in advance to the concerned authorities,” the report says.

Viral videos and real-time updates on social media further escalated the crowd frenzy, pushing the event into a full-blown crisis.

Court’s Take
The High Court, while making the report public, observed that transparency is crucial when public safety is compromised. The tragedy, which occurred during what should have been a moment of celebration, has now sparked serious questions about accountability, crowd control, and the consequences of unchecked digital announcements in a hyperconnected world.