The streets of Bengaluru turned into a scene of chaos and tragedy after Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL win. Captain Rajat Patidar and the team arrived at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with the trophy, sparking a hastily organized celebration. But the event quickly turned deadly, with at least 11 people killed in a stampede outside the stadium.
It’s now emerged that police had asked the RCB management to postpone the event, citing concerns about the huge crowds and the risk of chaos. The police suggested holding the celebration on Sunday, when the fans’ excitement would have died down. But RCB insisted on going ahead with the event on June 4, citing the fact that their foreign players would be leaving the country soon.
According to a report in the Deccan Herald, a police officer said: “We tried to explain to the RCB franchise and the government that it would be better to postpone the event. We advised them to hold it on Sunday, when the fans would be less emotional. We also suggested that they should not hold a procession, but instead organize a program at a single venue, like the stadium.”
The IPL final was originally scheduled for May 25, but was postponed due to India-Pakistan tensions. The match was finally held on June 3, and the RCB players had only just returned to the team. With the players needing to join their national teams soon, the RCB management was keen to hold the celebration as soon as possible.
The police officer added: “Their argument was that their players, especially the foreign ones, would not stay in India for long. Naturally, the government would also want to capitalize on the situation. If the government had said no, it would have led to chaos. By Tuesday morning, even the constables and commissioners were on the streets, exhausted. It was absolute madness, we had never seen anything like it.”