The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has placed the blame on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the deadly stampede that occurred on June 4, 2025, outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The incident, which took place during a victory celebration for the team's maiden IPL title, resulted in the tragic loss of 11 lives and left many others injured.

According to the CAT, RCB is "prima facie responsible" for the stampede due to their failure to obtain the necessary permissions from the police before announcing and promoting the event. The tribunal noted that RCB had posted about the parade and fan engagement on social media platforms on the morning of June 4, which led to a massive gathering of approximately 2.5 to 5 lakh people in the MG Road and Cubbon Road areas near the stadium. The CAT emphasized that this sudden announcement gave the police insufficient time to make adequate security arrangements for such a large crowd.

The tribunal further observed that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had sent a letter to the Cubbon Park Police Station, but this letter did not include any request for permission or arrangements. The CAT stated that the police could not be expected to provide support based solely on this letter.

In its observation, the CAT stated, "The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the Police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered". The tribunal also strongly noted that law enforcement cannot be expected to manage such massive crowds at short notice, adding, "Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither 'God (Bhagwan)' nor magician and also not having the magic powers like 'Alladdin ka Chirag'".

Following the stampede, the Karnataka government suspended several senior police officers, including Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash. However, the CAT has now quashed the suspension order against Vikash, stating that there was no convincing material to show default or negligence on the part of the police officers. The tribunal directed the government to reinstate him to his previous position.

The tragic incident has drawn widespread criticism regarding crowd management. In the aftermath, charges were pressed against RCB and KSCA, leading to the resignation of KSCA secretary A. Shankar and treasurer Jayaram. Police have also arrested three people from an event management company and one RCB official in connection with the stampede.

RCB is yet to release an official response to the Tribunal's comments.