Karnataka High Court to hear plea concerning Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede today

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The Karnataka High Court on Thursday agreed to hear in the later part of the day, a petition related to the stampede that took place outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bengaluru on Wednesday, claiming 11 lives and leaving several injured.

The matter was mentioned this morning before the Bench of Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice CM Joshi.

Representing the State, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty contended that the government was taking all steps to address the issue. The law officer said he would soon submit a report regarding the facts on the incident and the measures taken by the government. Noting that there was no adversarial approach, the Counsel said the Karnataka government was assisting people. If there was any suggestion, it should be on, he added.

The High Court decide to take up the matter at 2:30 pm.

As per reports, 11 people died and around 47 people were injured after a stampede took place outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, where a large crowd had gathered to greet the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket team after they won the Indian Premier League (IPL) on June 3.

Celebrations had been planned in Bengaluru to mark RCB’s first victory in 18 years. The team was slated to arrive at the stadium to meet fans on Wednesday.

It was reported that fees were initially charged for entry into the stadium. However, after it was allegedly announced late in the day that free entry would be permitted, large crowds thronged the stadium’s gates, leading to a stampede. The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.