The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has approached the Karnataka High Court with a petition to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against it in connection with the tragic stampede that occurred outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The incident, which took place on Wednesday, led to the death of 11 people. The Cubbon Park police had registered the FIR naming the Managing Committee members of KSCA following the unfortunate event.
The petition was filed by KSCA’s Managing Committee, including its President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A. Shankar, and Treasurer E. S. Jairam. It is scheduled to be heard by Justice S. R. Krishna Kumar at 2:30 PM today. The plea seeks to quash the FIR registered for offences under Sections 105, 115(2), 118(1), 118(2), read with Sections 3(5), 190, 132, 125(a), and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
KSCA stated in its petition that it is the official governing body for cricket in Karnataka and operates the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which regularly hosts international matches. However, the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches are organised by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team through their service provider, M/s DNA Networks Pvt. Ltd. According to the plea, “the role of KSCA is very limited as it accommodates by extending the venue and infrastructure.”
The petitioners emphasized that ticketing and gate control were entirely handled by RCB and their agency, and KSCA's involvement was limited to signing a rental agreement and facilitating necessary government permissions.
“The entire collections go to RCB, and gate management is not under KSCA’s control,” the plea said. It added that the FIR was unjustly registered against the KSCA office bearers despite their limited role.
The plea also refers to the communication dated June 3, 2025, addressed to various police officials, including the Inspector of Police, Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioner, requesting extended security measures for the event. It also mentioned KSCA’s announcement of compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
The government, in response to the incident, has ordered a magisterial inquiry, suspended some police officials, and constituted a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to investigate the matter further.
“The FIR particularly naming the Petitioners along with RCB and DNA, is to keep someone in particular on the seat of guilt so that those objections and hate of the public against all the Government heads/several ministers who are being accused of being responsible for the catastrophe be diverted and they escape the wrath,” the petition stated.
It further contends that the police registered the FIR under “intense pressure and compelling circumstances” without conducting any preliminary inquiry, and that the inclusion of KSCA members as accused is unfair.
The petition maintains that the unfortunate incident was a result of a sudden rush and surge and there was no intention or motive behind it. It stresses that the responsibility for crowd control and gate management lay solely with the RCB franchise, its service provider DNA, and the police authorities.
KSCA, in its interim prayer, has sought a stay on the FIR dated June 5, 2025, and all further proceedings stemming from it, pending final disposal of the petition.
