Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka high court takes suo motu cognisance, to hear matter today

The Karnataka High Court will hear later today a case related to the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead and 47 injured on Wednesday evening.

The matter was urgently mentioned on Thursday morning before a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C.M. Joshi by a lawyer seeking judicial intervention.

Representing the state, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty informed the court that authorities were taking all necessary steps and would submit a detailed factual report.

“We are taking all steps… I will get instructions and present what has been done. This is not an adversarial matter. We are as concerned as any citizen of the state to understand what went wrong. Any suggestions are welcome,” Shetty told the bench.

The court has scheduled the hearing for 2.30 PM on Thursday.

The stampede occurred during celebrations organised to mark Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL 2025 title win—the team’s first in 18 years. Thousands of fans had gathered outside the stadium to see the players, who were expected to attend a public event.

Chaos reportedly broke out when the crowd surged forward, triggering panic and a deadly crush. Emergency responders confirmed 11 fatalities and at least 47 injuries.

The Cubbon Park Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the incident. The FIR does not name any accused and categorises the deaths as “unnatural.” Further details on the investigation are awaited.