Bengaluru stampede: Police flagged lack of time to prepare and make security arrangements, document shows

An aerial view of fans gathered during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s felicitation ceremony after the team won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru on June 04, 2025.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Even as a blame game has broken out between the police and the State government over mishaps during Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebrations, it has now emerged that the Vidhana Soudha security had flagged concerns of overcrowding, lack of time and shortage of security personnel for the felicitation for the team on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha.

This letter is the only document that shows the State government overruled concerns raised by the Bengaluru City Police and went ahead with RCB victory celebrations. While it is true that no untoward incidents happened at the Vidhana Soudha event, police have argued an open air event at the administrative nerve centre of the state, coupled with a unilateral announcement by RCB of a victory parade on June 4 morning, brought lakhs to the street eventually leading to a stampede at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) had written to DCP (Vidhana Soudha Security) on June 3 seeking opinion on felicitation for the RCB team if they won in the IPL finals. Responding to this letter on June 4 M. N. Karibasavagowda, DCP (Vidhana Soudha Security), flagged concerns over “lakhs of RCB fans gathering for the event”, said since there was a shortage of security personnel in the Vidhana Soudha division making bandobast for the event could be a problem. He further says that there was a lack of time to deploy more personnel from outside the Vidhana Soudha Security unit, to coordinate with Law and Order and Traffic Police.

DCP Vidhana Soudha Security concludes that there was need of more time to hold the event at Vidhana Soudha, a vital installation following all rules, but says the police would abide by whatever decision the government takes.

Multiple sources said that flagging lack of time to prepare the city police suggested that the victory celebrations be postponed to Sunday, June 8. However, they were overruled, sources said.