Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been ruled prima facie responsible for the tragic stampede that occurred during celebrations of their maiden IPL title win on June 4. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has placed the entire blame for the tragic incident, which claimed 11 lives, on the IPL franchise.
RCB clinched their maiden IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final clash on June 3. The team organized an event in Bengaluru the following day. However, the celebration turned into chaos. In response, the team announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the deceased.
RCB Prima Facie Responsible for Massive Crowd, Says Tribunal
The Central Administrative Tribunal has quashed the suspension of senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was serving as Additional Commissioner of Police (West) during the stampede at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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Notably, the tribunal attributed the incident to RCB’s sudden announcement of their IPL 2025 victory celebration. It noted that RCB failed to seek police permission before publicizing the event on social media, which led to an unmanageable crowd gathering.
According to LiveLaw, the tribunal observed, “Therefore, prima facie it appears that the RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the Police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result… the public were gathered.”
Tribunal Says Police Not ‘God or Magician’ to Handle Sudden Crowd
The Central Administrative Tribunal criticized the lack of coordination ahead of the victory celebration that led to the deadly stampede. Notably, the tribunal added that the police were not given sufficient time to prepare for the massive crowd, making proper arrangements nearly impossible.
The judgment stated that it was unreasonable to expect the police to organize everything within just 12 hours. The tribunal remarked that police personnel are not “gods or magicians” with instant solutions.
“Because of shortage of time on 04.06.2026, the Police was unable to do the appropriate arrangements… It cannot be expected from the Police that within a short time of about 12 hours the Police will make all arrangements…”
“Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither ‘God’ (Bhagwan) nor Magician and also not having the magic powers like ‘Alladdin ka Chirag’ which was able to fulfil any wish only by rubbing a finger,” the tribunal observed, as quoted by LiveLaw.
CAT Order Likely to Be Challenged in HC After Officer Suspension Quashed
The Central Administrative Tribunal’s decision to revoke the suspension of senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash is being viewed as a blow to the Karnataka state government.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had publicly announced the suspensions during a press briefing. According to Sportstar, the administration is expected to appeal the tribunal’s ruling in the Karnataka High Court.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched their maiden IPL title after years of heartbreak. The team delivered consistent performances throughout the tournament, finishing second in the league stage with 19 points and nine wins from 14 matches.
RCB made history by winning all seven of their away matches. They continued their dominance in the playoffs, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by eight wickets in the first qualifier to book a spot in the final.
The team finally ended their title drought with a hard-fought six-run win in the 2025 final, bringing home the trophy after an 18-year wait.
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