June 4 in Bengaluru should have been a golden page in cricket history. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) won the IPL trophy for the first time after a long wait of 18 years. But the celebration that should have been memorable forever turned into tragedy in a few hours.
Eleven fans died and more than 50 people were injured in the horrific stampede outside the stadium. On this tragic incident, the team’s star player, Virat Kohli, shared his feelings on social media and wrote, “No one prepares for a heartbreaking moment like June 4. I have constantly thought and prayed for the victim’s families and the injured. Your loss is now part of our story. We will move forward with respect, compassion, and responsibility.”
After this accident, the RCB management announced that a memorial would be built in the city, where the memories, names, and stories of those 11 fans would always remain alive. In addition, financial and medical help will be given to the injured under the RCB Cares Program.
However, this incident is no longer just a human tragedy but has also become a political and administrative crisis. The Karnataka government has suspended several senior police officers, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand. MLC K. Govindaraj, the political secretary of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, also had to step down from the post.
According to reports, the stadium has a capacity of only 32,000 spectators, but more than two lakh people had gathered there. The situation worsened when RCB announced a victory procession, and the government held a separate felicitation program at Vidhana Soudha. The police force was tired and present in small numbers, which led to a failure to control the crowd.
Meanwhile, a social activist has also raised questions about Virat Kohli. He says that due to Kohli’s plan to leave for London, there was pressure to take out the procession on June 4. Although these claims have not been officially confirmed, the controversy has gained momentum.
Now, the government has promised to develop a new SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for such big events in the future. A judicial inquiry has started under the leadership of retired High Court judge Michael D’Cunha. An FIR has been registered against the RCB franchise, KSCA, and event manager DNA Network, and some officials have also been arrested.
June 4 should have been recorded as a victory date in the cricket world. But today, this date will always stand out as a heartbreaking memory, a day when sporting celebrations turned into mourning in a matter of moments.
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