The stampede in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) victory celebrations, which tragically claimed 11 lives outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, has sent shockwaves through the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). In a significant fallout, A Shankar and E S Jairam have stepped down from their positions as secretary and treasurer of the cricketing body, respectively.
The resignations were tendered late on Thursday night, with both officials stating that, while their role in the incident was minimal, they were taking moral responsibility for the tragedy. Their joint statement acknowledged the gravity of the events that had unfolded since Wednesday and confirmed their decision to step aside.
KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, along with Shankar and Jairam, informed the Karnataka High Court that the association was not directly responsible for crowd or gate management. They also submitted that they had originally sought permission to host the RCB celebration at Vidhan Soudha.
In the wake of the disaster, several police officers &mdash; including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda &mdash; have been suspended pending further investigation.
The stampede occurred following a felicitation ceremony held at Vidhan Soudha for RCB players who had secured the team&rsquo;s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title. While the event at Vidhan Soudha concluded without incident, chaos erupted outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium shortly afterwards. This was reportedly triggered by a mass turnout, estimated in lakhs, prompted by an RCB social media post inviting fans to attend a ceremony at the stadium &mdash; a post that was later deleted.
Although the planned victory parade was cancelled, the programme inside the stadium continued. The Karnataka government later stated that it had instructed the organisers to conclude the event within ten minutes upon receiving news of the fatalities, which they complied with.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed in connection with the incident. On Friday, four individuals associated with RCB and the event management firm DNA were arrested. Among them is Nikhil Sosale, RCB's head of marketing.

Mass turnout to celebrate RCB victory at Bengaluru (file photos)

Two top KSCA officials step down, taking moral responsibility for stampede that killed 11

RCB Victory Stampede Triggers KSCA Resignations

Two top KSCA officials step down, taking moral responsibility for stampede that killed 11

June 7, 2025 | 20:41 IST