BENGALURU: Indian police Friday detained four people including a senior executive at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after 11 fans were crushed to death during celebrations for the team’s first IPL title.
Hundreds of thousands packed the streets in the southern city of Bengaluru on Wednesday to welcome home their hero Virat Kohli and his RCB cricket team after they beat Punjab Kings in the final of the Indian Premier League.
But the euphoria of the vast crowds ended in disaster with a stampede near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the players were parading the trophy.
Karnataka state’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Friday he had directed police to arrest the representatives of RCB, event organizers DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association.
Police brought Nikhil Sosale, a senior RCB official, and three other representatives of DNA before a judge in Bengaluru, an AFP journalist saw.
All four were later arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody, broadcaster NDTV reported.
Siddaramaiah had earlier said a first information report, which marks the start of a police investigation, had been “registered against them.”
The deaths have sparked widespread anger, and top police officers including the city’s police commissioner have been suspended.
Local media reported that the accusations include culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, among others.
There was no immediate comment from RCB.
Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, also pointed the finger at some senior police.
“These officers appear to be irresponsible and negligent and it has been decided to suspend them,” he said.
The dead were aged between 14 and 29, and were among a sea of people who had poured onto the streets to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
RCB offered financial aid of $11,655 to each family of the victims, calling the deaths “unfortunate.”
Indian media have widely reported the team earned $2.3 million in prize money alone for taking the title.
Kohli, who top-scored in the final, said he was “at a loss for words” after the celebrations of a first IPL crown turned to tragedy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident “absolutely heartrending.”
Siddaramaiah has said that the stadium had a capacity of 35,000 people “but 200,000-300,000 people came.”
Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian mass events, such as religious festivals, due to poor crowd management and safety lapses.
“The grim truth is that the fan, who drives the commerce of every sport, is the last priority for administrators,” The Hindu newspaper wrote in its editorial on Friday.
“Asphyxia was the primary cause of death besides injuries suffered in the stifling rush,” it added.
The pioneering IPL sold its broadcast rights in 2022 for five seasons to global media giants for an eye-popping $6.2 billion, putting it up among the highest-ranked sport leagues in cost-per-match terms.
“The world’s richest cricket tournament can’t cut corners when it comes to fans’ safety,” the Indian Express newspaper wrote in an editorial.
“A fitting tribute to those dead, therefore, is not mere signing a cheque but holding those in charge responsible — ensuring that heads roll, and those who dropped the ball Wednesday are made to pay.”
