BENGALURU: In the wake of the June 4 stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations that killed 11 people, the Karnataka government on Wednesday introduced a bill aimed at regulating public gatherings and fixing accountability for crowd safety.
The Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Places of Gathering) Bill, 2025 makes it mandatory for organisers to obtain prior permissions, safety clearances, and deposit an indemnity bond of ₹1 crore, which can be invoked in case of damage to property or loss of life.
Tabled by home minister G. Parameshwara, the bill proposes strict penalties for violations:
- Unpermitted events: 3–7 years in jail or fines up to ₹1 lakh.
- Negligence causing injuries: 3–7 years’ imprisonment.
- Fatalities from crowd disasters: 10 years to life imprisonment.
- Civil disturbances (rumour-mongering, inciting violence, spreading panic): up to 3 years in jail or ₹50,000 fine.
- Disobeying police directions: punishable under the new provisions.
Significantly, the legislation also holds government officials and police officers accountable for lapses in crowd management.
Parameshwara said the law is meant to enforce safety standards and prevent future tragedies: “We are bringing this bill to ensure safety at all public events and to punish negligence, whether by organisers or officials.”
The assembly will debate the bill on Thursday.
