Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Thursday announced that the state government will develop a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for managing large-scale events, meetings, and celebrations to prevent future tragedies.
The decision follows a devastating stampede near Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, 4 June 2025, which resulted in 11 deaths and 56 injuries during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory.
Addressing reporters, Parameshwara vowed to identify the shortcomings that led to the incident and implement stringent measures. Of the injured, 46 have been discharged after treatment, while 10 remain hospitalised with non-critical conditions, as per medical reports.
“To avoid such tragedies, the Home Department will craft a new SOP. All mega events must now adhere to police department guidelines,” he stated, emphasising that the SOP aims to ensure such incidents are never repeated.
Expressing grief, Parameshwara said, “These deaths are heartbreaking. Young lives, aged 20–25, came to celebrate but met a tragic end. Seeing their bodies is painful. We will thoroughly investigate lapses and act decisively.”
Noting that such an incident was unprecedented in Karnataka’s cricketing history, he revealed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered a magisterial inquiry, led by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner, on 4 June. “If lapses are found, those responsible will face strict consequences,” he added, declining to elaborate pending the inquiry’s outcome.
Responding to criticism about inadequate preparations, Parameshwara explained, “Bengaluru celebrated RCB’s win through Tuesday night, 3 June, and into Wednesday morning when the team arrived. The festive mood was electric, but no one anticipated three lakh people converging on a stadium with a 30,000 capacity. Metro data shows 8.7 lakh passengers travelled by 11 PM on Wednesday, reflecting the massive turnout.”
The minister announced plans to visit the incident site and meet with RCB and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) representatives. On reports of no FIR being filed, he said, “I’ll address technicalities with the Police Commissioner and DGP.” Regarding accountability, he noted that responsibility would be fixed post-inquiry.
Parameshwara expressed relief that no incidents occurred during RCB’s felicitation at Vidhana Soudha, though he acknowledged minor issues, such as sticks thrown at media for obstructing views. “The event was organised in 2–3 hours, so some oversights may have occurred,” he admitted. Addressing claims that senior officials’ warnings against rushed events were ignored, he said, “We’ll investigate who made these suggestions and when.”