On June 5, 2025, the Karnataka High Court convened to address the tragic stampede that occurred outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration on June 4. The incident resulted in at least 11 fatalities and over 50 injuries due to overcrowding during the team’s victory parade.

A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao and Justice C. M. Joshi took suo motu cognizance of the incident, emphasizing the need to ascertain the cause of the tragedy and implement measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. The court issued notices to the state government and acknowledged receiving communications from several individuals concerning the matter.

During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Arun Shyam highlighted that two events took place at Vidhana Soudha and the stadium, requesting details about ambulance deployments at both locations. The petitioner’s counsel criticized the decision to open only three gates of the stadium, labeling it as criminal negligence, and questioned the necessity and safety measures of organizing a felicitation event for players not representing the country.

The Advocate General informed the court that the state government has initiated a Magisterial Inquiry into the incident. He assured the bench that all proceedings would be video-recorded and submitted to the court, emphasizing transparency and the government’s commitment to addressing the tragedy.

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