The Karnataka government has told the High Court that the RCB victory parade, which ended in a tragic stampede killing 11 people and injuring over 50, was held without proper police permission or planning. The report was made public after a court order, despite the state government's initial request that it be kept confidential.

RCB didn't take proper permission

According to the report, RCB informed the police about a possible parade only on June 3, the same day they won the IPL title after an 18-year wait. But instead of applying for permission as the law requires (at least 7 days in advance), they just informed the police about the parade. Because there was no formal application with details like expected crowd size, safety plans, or venue arrangements, the police did not grant permission.

 Invitation shared without informing the police

Despite this, the next morning (June 4), RCB posted an open invite on social media, telling fans that entry was free and that the victory parade would go from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium. They continued to post about the event, even sharing a video of Virat Kohli inviting fans to join the celebrations. It wasn’t until 3:14 PM, just before the parade, that they finally mentioned "limited free passes" were needed. But by then, the damage was done.

Crowd got out of control

The social media posts got over 44 lakh views. People came out in huge numbers, more than 3 lakh. Many gathered outside the stadium, along the roads from HAL Airport to the team’s hotel, and at every possible spot to catch a glimpse of their favourite players. Metro ridership alone consists of over 9.6 lakh people, far more than usual, confirming the crowd size.

Stampede triggered by confusion 

By 3 PM on June 4, the crowd outside the stadium had swelled. But the stadium only holds 35,000 people. Thousands showed up expecting open entry because of RCB’s earlier posts. When they later learned that entry required a pass, confusion and frustration took over. The gates weren’t opened properly or on time, and some broke open Gates 1, 2, and 21 in panic.

This chaos led to stampedes at several entry points. The police did respond quickly and managed to regain some control, but by then, the situation had already turned deadly.

Why the Parade not cancelled midway

Many have asked why the event wasn’t stopped once the crowds started building. The government says that calling it off suddenly could have made things worse. They feared it might spark violence or riots. So instead, they decided to shorten the event, increase security, and let it go on for a brief time to avoid larger law-and-order problems.

In short, the report blames poor planning, lack of coordination with police, and last-minute changes by RCB for the tragic stampede. It highlights the need for better event management, especially when lakhs of fans are involved.