The Karnataka High Court has mandated the state government to release the status report on the Bengaluru stampede to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and DNA Entertainment Networks. This directive comes as a significant development in the legal proceedings following the tragic incident during RCB's IPL victory celebration on June 4.
The court, led by Acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao and Justice C. M. Joshi, dismissed the state government's plea to keep the report confidential, emphasizing that the case does not involve public interest, national security, or private rights that would justify such secrecy.
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty had argued for the report's confidentiality, suggesting that its contents could influence ongoing magisterial and judicial commission inquiries. However, Amicus Curiae S. Susheela opposed this, highlighting the delay in disclosure and questioning the legal basis for withholding the report.
She stated, "Our justice system does not support the state's decision to delay disclosure by 10-15 days; it must be transparent." The court's decision to share the report aims to provide the involved parties with a fair opportunity to present their perspective on the events leading to the stampede.
The court's ruling aligns with its earlier stance that the necessity of a sealed cover does not arise in this case. The bench noted that the report contains "facts as perceived" by the government, and keeping it secret must be justified only by reasons like national security, public interest, or privacy rights. The court further stated that the argument of potential influence on the magisterial inquiry or judicial commission report lacks merit, as it does not serve any public interest.
The court initiated the suo moto case to understand the reasons that led to the tragedy and explore how it could have been prevented. By opening the sealed cover and sharing the report with the respondents, the court believes that they can assist in understanding the facts from a better perspective. This move also signifies a fair chance being given to the parties to narrate what exactly happened from their perspective. The stampede, which resulted in the tragic loss of eleven RCB fans, occurred during a celebration at the M Chinnaswamy cricket stadium in Bengaluru.
The court posed several questions to the Karnataka government regarding the incident, including inquiries about the decision-making process for holding the victory celebration, whether any permission was sought to organize the event, and whether any Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was formulated to manage a crowd of 50,000 and above.
The government has argued that open invitations were extended to fans without RCB obtaining the official clearances needed from the Bengaluru police for hosting the event. The factual narration of events in the report to the High Court includes an announcement made by RCB on June 3, at Ahmedabad, about hosting celebrations in Bengaluru on June 4 for its first-ever IPL final victory.
