'Don't cut his body': Father pleads after stampede; RCB celebrations continued amid tragedy

What was meant to be a victory parade turned into a nightmare. RCB clinched their first-ever IPL trophy on June 3, marking a historic moment for the team and their fans. It was a moment of pure joy, not just for the loyal supporters but also for Virat Kohli and his teammates.

The following day, on June 4, the RCB management announced a victory parade to celebrate the win, inviting fans to join in. However, things quickly went out of control. Massive crowds gathered near Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, hoping to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes. The situation became unmanageable as the crowd went berserk.

To avoid further chaos and traffic congestion, the Bengaluru Police cancelled the parade. Nevertheless, the celebrations continued inside the stadium.

As lakhs of people gathered outside, hoping to witness the ongoing festivities, tragedy struck. A stampede occurred during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebration, leaving at least 11 people feared dead and over 25 injured. The crowd outside Vidhana Soudha was seen waving flags and holding banners, overwhelmed with emotion for RCB's maiden IPL triumph.

Heartbreaking visuals showed the boy among the 11 cricket fans who died in the stampede during the frenzied celebration. Dozens of others were injured in the chaos.

"At least give me his body. Don't do a postmortem. Don't cut his body into pieces," the grieving father sobbed. Struggling to hold back his tears, he added, "I had only one son. Now I've lost him. He came here without telling me. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister may come, but no one can bring them back."

What led to chaos?

While celebrations went on inside the stadium, chaos reigned outside. The crowd turnout exceeded all expectations, choking narrow entry points. Thousands, desperate to be part of the felicitation ceremony, surged toward the gates, triggering the deadly stampede. By 5 PM, the extent of the tragedy had become clear.

Apart from those killed and injured, many fans fainted due to overcrowding and heat. Videos from the scene showed unconscious fans being rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Several videos from inside the stadium have also surfaced. One viral clip shows Virat Kohli struggling to address the crowd. "Let me speak..." he is seen saying, as the frenzied fans drowned out his voice during the celebration.

Despite the celebratory spirit inside, the tragedy outside has cast a long, dark shadow over what should have been a historic day of triumph.