Taking suo motu cognisance of the tragic stampede that occurred during the IPL victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Karnataka High Court on Thursday issued notice to the state government and sought a status report on the incident.

A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao and Justice C.M. Joshi said it initiated proceedings to examine whether the tragedy, which claimed eleven lives—including that of a 14-year-old girl—and left 47 injured, could have been prevented, and to identify measures to avoid such incidents in the future.

During the hearing, the Advocate General of Karnataka informed the court that while there was adequate police deployment, the scale of the crowd far exceeded expectations. “Approximately 2.5 lakh people gathered, not just from Bengaluru but from across the state and beyond, due to the announcement of free entry,” he said. The AG clarified that the casualties occurred near the stadium’s entry gates.

The bench expressed concern over the loss of lives and emphasised the need for accountability and preventive steps. The court was also informed that the Chief Minister's immediate response was to ensure medical assistance and announce compensation for the victims.

“We are deeply concerned, just as much as the public. We are open to all suggestions and are committed to addressing the lapses,” the Advocate General told the court.

The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed sorrow over the tragedy. “Words can’t describe the pain. We never imagined such an incident. The entire state witnessed it. We’re truly sorry,” he said, urging that the matter should not be politicised and promising corrective action.

“They are all part of our family, and we will stand with them in this time of grief,” he added.