The M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru has been declared unsuitable and unsafe for large-scale events by the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission, following a tragic stampede on July 4 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations that resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries. The commission's report, shared with the Karnataka government, criticised the venue's design and structure while indicting RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association for their roles in the incident.
The commission's findings highlighted systematic limitations at the stadium, which was built in 1974, and strongly recommended relocating major events to more suitable venues.
"Any future venue should adhere to international standards," the report stated, raising concerns about upcoming matches, including the ICC Women's ODI Cricket World Cup games scheduled from September 30 to November 2.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The Karnataka State Cricket Association has already announced that its Maharaja Trophy T20 League, beginning August 11, will be played behind closed doors.
The report outlined several missing requirements at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, including "purpose-built queuing and circulation areas separated from public roads, sufficient entry and exit gates to manage mass ingress and egress, integrated access to public transport and nearby tourist hubs, comprehensive emergency evacuation plans in line with global safety norms and adequate parking and drop-off facilities to accommodate large volumes of attendees."
The panel recommended action against KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat, former secretary A Shankar, and former treasurer ES Jairam, with the latter two having resigned citing moral responsibility after the incident. RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon and DNA Entertainment Networks executives T Venkat Vardhan and Sunil Mathur were also named in the report.
Several police officers, including B Dayananda, Vikash Kumar, Shekhar HT, C Balakrishna, and AK Girish, who were part of the arrangements and subsequently removed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, were also held responsible.
The report stated that organising big-attendance events at the stadium will pose "unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness."
The Karnataka government, which had celebrated the title win with players in a felicitation event at Vidhana Soudha, is expected to decide on the recommendations during the next cabinet meeting.
The tragic incident occurred just one day after RCB secured their first IPL title, ending an 18-year wait for the trophy.
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