A celebratory moment turned tragic in Bengaluru as a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru&rsquo;s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebration claimed 11 lives and left over 40 injured.
The chaos unfolded when thousands of fans surged through multiple gates attempting to enter the venue amid confusion over the event&rsquo;s organisation and permission status.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, expressing deep sorrow, accused the BJP of politicising the tragedy. 
"Families are mourning, but the BJP is doing politics over dead bodies," he said, while asserting that the state government had denied permission for a public parade citing security risks. He confirmed that police had taken necessary precautions but the crowd unexpectedly swelled, especially through Metro arrivals.
The Karnataka government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, appointing senior IAS officer G. Jagadeesha, Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner, as the enquiry officer. 
The investigation is to be completed within 15 days, probing the sequence of events, lapses, and responsibility.
The tragedy occurred between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm, when a barricade near Gate 2 of the stadium collapsed under the crowd's pressure, causing a deadly crush. Police and emergency teams rushed the injured to Bowring and Vydehi Hospitals. Survivors recalled horrifying scenes of panic, suffocation, and chaos.
Deputy CM Shivakumar visited the hospital and reiterated that despite the cancelled parade, the incident happened due to the sudden, unmanageable crowd. He stated that &ldquo;the same police served during the previous government&rsquo;s tenure,&rdquo; countering opposition criticism.
Meanwhile, BJP had earlier criticised the Congress-led government for denying the parade and later blamed it for the mishap, prompting Shivakumar to call out their &ldquo;insensitivity.&rdquo; The JD(S) too joined in the criticism.
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal, distancing the BCCI from the incident, said the Board had no prior information about the ground event and expressed deep sorrow, calling it &ldquo;tragic and heartbreaking.&rdquo; He clarified that the IPL had officially concluded and all protocols were discussed with local authorities beforehand.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and RCB also issued condolences, with KSCA announcing Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia and the state government offering Rs 10 lakh compensation to each bereaved family.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the incident, urging safety protocol reforms for public events. Gandhi termed it a &ldquo;painful reminder that no celebration is worth a human life.&rdquo;
While RCB&rsquo;s historic maiden title win ended their 17-year drought, the jubilation was overshadowed by the catastrophe&mdash;marking a dark day in the city's sporting history.
&mdash;IANS
(Apart from the headline, this article has not been edited by Benefit News editorial team and is published from an IANS news feed.)

Crowd chaos outside stadium during RCB celebration

D.K. Shivakumar slams BJP for ‘politics over dead bodies’ amid mounting political blame game

RCB Stampede: 11 Dead, Probe Ordered - Bengaluru

D.K. Shivakumar slams BJP for ‘politics over dead bodies’ amid mounting political blame game

June 5, 2025 | 10:29 IST