Bengaluru, June 5 (UNI) Taking cognisance of the tragic stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and left 56 injured, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday registered a suo motu case and sought a status report from the State Government.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi posted the matter for further hearing on June 10.
The stampede occurred on Wednesday outside the stadium, where lakhs of fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team celebrating their maiden IPL title victory. The chaos is said to have ensued after an abrupt announcement allowing free entry, replacing the earlier ticketed access plan, resulting in an uncontrollable surge at the stadium gates.
In court, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty maintained that the government was not adopting an adversarial stance. He informed the bench that a magisterial inquiry had been initiated, with a report expected within 15 days.
"We are committed to full transparency. Everything will be video-recorded. There is no question of hiding anything," the AG assured. He admitted that over 2.5 lakh people turned up outside a venue designed to hold 30,000, overwhelming the deployed emergency measures.
Several senior lawyers, including Aruna Shyam, appeared in court, calling for an independent judicial probe.
"The same officer who failed in crowd control has now been tasked with conducting the inquiry. This is unacceptable," she submitted.
The Court expressed concern over systemic lapses and stressed the need for a Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for crowd management at public events.
Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by advocate Lohith G Hanumapura, seeking a judicial probe under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge.
Union Minister of State and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje also wrote to the High Court urging suo motu action in view of the grave nature of the incident and the alleged administrative negligence.
The tragedy, which unfolded during what was to be a historic celebration for RCB fans after an 18-year title drought, has drawn sharp political and public scrutiny. UNI BDN SSP