BENGALURU: A week after the tragic stampede in Bengaluru, victims and eyewitnesses have pointed to a combination of hasty event planning, technical glitches, and lack of crowd management as key factors behind the chaos. Several attendees expressed the view that both officials and the public bear responsibility for the unfortunate incident.
Rajesh MG, 26, who suffered minor injuries, questioned the timing of the event. “Why organise a massive celebration just a day after RCB’s IPL win? The excitement led to overcrowding. We initially went for the roadshow, only to find it had been cancelled,” he said. Rajesh also criticised the lack of preventive measures by authorities, adding, “There should have been stronger law-and-order planning where the crowds were expected. That said, even some people in the crowd misbehaved and added to the confusion.”
Police officials revealed that nearly 50 notices had been issued as part of a magisterial inquiry, but only 10–12 victims had responded so far. Another hearing has been scheduled for June 13, where government officials are also expected to give statements.
Shamili, 25, who was at the event, said, “I’m not blaming anyone in particular. Maybe we should’ve used better judgment and avoided the crowd when it was clearly overwhelming.”
Syed Abu Jaffer, 22, recounted how law enforcement was overwhelmed by the sheer number of attendees. “It was visibly mismanaged. Anyone who saw the celebrations the night before could have predicted this. There should have been a proper ticketing system based on stadium capacity.” He also highlighted how technical issues worsened the situation. “At around 3:30 p.m., an announcement about tickets was made and the app crashed. That moment triggered the panic. Pass distribution was poorly handled.”
Jaffer stressed that while authorities made errors, crowd behavior also played a role. “We can’t pin the blame on just one group. People need to show more civic sense in such situations.”
The stampede, which occurred during a celebratory event following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first IPL title win, has triggered public outrage and demands for accountability. As investigations continue, questions remain over how such a major event was cleared without more stringent planning and crowd safety protocols.
