R Ashoka writes to NHRC over RCB celebration stampede

Bengaluru

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka has written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urging immediate intervention in the tragic stampede that occurred outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 during the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) following their IPL trophy win. The incident led to the death of 11 people and injuries to 75 others.

Ashoka, in his letter to the NHRC, has raised several serious concerns regarding the incident. He asserted that the stampede was not a mere accident, but a consequence of gross negligence and administrative failure. The letter accused the state government and relevant authorities of ignoring basic public safety norms and failing to take appropriate precautions during the event.

The letter lists multiple reasons that contributed to the disaster. These include failure to manage crowd control effectively, excessive promotion of the celebration, inadequate security arrangements and deployment of police, lack of proper infrastructure and emergency services, irresponsible behavior by the event organizers, and overall failure of the state administration.

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Ashoka has urged the NHRC to register a suo-motu case immediately and launch a comprehensive investigation into the incident. He emphasized the need to fix accountability and identify those responsible. He also called for the issuance of guidelines and protocols to prevent such tragedies in the future and requested the Commission to closely monitor the ongoing investigation. Furthermore, Ashoka stressed the need for the NHRC to ensure justice for the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede. He also demanded that the Commission take necessary steps to prevent such incidents from recurring. Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also registered a suo-motu case, seeking information from the CID regarding injuries sustained by children during the stampede.