Ex-KKR IPL winner expresses grief over Bengaluru stampede that killed 11, urges stakeholders to take responsibility

Former India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricketer Manoj Tiwary has expressed grief at the Bengaluru stampede on Wednesday (June 4) that killed nearly a dozen people and injured several others. Calling the whole episode that unfolded outside of Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, ‘heartbreaking and deeply upsetting’, Tiwary said someone must take responsibility for that.

After RCB’s maiden IPL title win the previous night in Ahmedabad, their fans celebrated in massive numbers all across the country, with Bengaluru city staying awake till the next morning. The jubilation followed till late afternoon but turned into a tragedy sooner, after 11 people died, and 33 others were left severely injured in the stampede that took place outside the venue.

While all this was happening outside, the RCB players and the whole support staff present inside the stadium kept celebrating with a sea of fans, all remaining unaware of what an unplanned yet risky roadshow and victory celebration had done. However, upon learning what unfolded outside, the celebrations inside were cut short, with only team captain Rajat Patidar and star batter Virat Kohli delivering winning speeches.

"What happened yesterday (on Wednesday) was an extremely tragic incident. None of us could have imagined this. The fans who came to celebrate the victory would never have dreamt that they'd lose their lives. While celebrations were going on inside, people were dying outside. Someone must take responsibility," Tiwari said in a chat with IANS.

"Couldn't the celebration have been held after a day or two? That would have given enough time to prepare properly. You have to anticipate the scale of emotion and the number of people who would come," he continued.

Having won his maiden IPL title with KKR 13 years ago in 2012, Tiwary recalled how the celebrations were handled by the (then) government, further urging all stakeholders, including the state government, police, security personnel and the RCB management, to take responsibility for this incident.

"Our Chief Minister back then, Manohar Rao, waited two days before hosting a celebration. That's the kind of experienced leadership that prevents tragedies. I did not see such planning or foresight here,” he said. "Human life must always come before celebrations. This is not just a lapse; it is a failure of collective responsibility."

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru police have arrested a senior RCB official, Nikhil Sosale, about the death of 11 people outside the cricket stadium, which was followed by the Karnataka state government suspending top police officials on Thursday.