The celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic IPL win turned into a tragedy on June 4, as a stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives. Over two lakh fans flooded the venue, which has a maximum capacity of 35,000, leading to chaotic scenes and loss of life. Social activist HM Venkatesh has filed a complaint naming Virat Kohli as responsible, though no FIR has been lodged yet.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah expressed grief, highlighting the poor crowd management. The state has appointed a one-member inquiry commission headed by retired Justice John Michael D'Cunha to probe the incident. So far, four people from DNA Entertainment have been arrested, including high-ranking officials responsible for event management.
RCB and Virat Kohli have expressed deep anguish, with Kohli stating he was “at a loss for words.” RCB has pledged ₹10 lakh to each of the victims’ families and created a relief fund for injured fans. The tragedy has sparked national outrage over the lack of safety at public events, even as the cricketing community mourns.