Virat Kohli Faces Legal Action Following Tragic Stampede at RCB Event
Legal Troubles for Virat Kohli Amid RCB Celebration Tragedy
Bengaluru: A police report has been filed against cricketer Virat Kohli in Bengaluru following a tragic stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium during a celebration event for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), which resulted in 11 fatalities.
The complaint was submitted to the Cubbon Park police station by A.M. Venkatesh, representing the Naija Horatagaarara Vedike. Authorities have acknowledged the complaint and indicated that it will be investigated alongside an existing FIR related to the incident.
Further information regarding the situation is still pending.
According to the FIR filed by the Karnataka Police, the parties involved—including the RCB franchise, the event management company DNA, and the KSCA Administrative Committee—held the victory celebration without obtaining the necessary permits.
The FIR cites multiple charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and unlawful assembly.
Additionally, two more cases have been registered at the Cubbon Park police station concerning the stampede. One complaint was lodged by Roland Gomes, who sustained injuries during the incident and was hospitalized. He has accused the RCB franchise, KSCA, and DNA under Section 125(a) of the BNS.
In his statement, Gomes recounted, "I saw the RCB announcement on social media and attended the celebration with friends. When I entered through Gate Number 17, there was a massive crowd, and I ended up dislocating my shoulder."
In a related development, a BJP delegation visited the Cubbon Park Police Station to file a complaint urging the registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivkumar.
After filing the complaint, BJP MLC N. Ravikumar stated, "The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister must take accountability for the deaths and chaos caused by the stampede during the RCB victory celebration. If they possess any sense of morality and respect for democracy, they should resign."
He criticized the treatment of police officers, who he claims were unfairly blamed, alleging that they had advised against the event's timing, suggesting it be postponed by several days, but their recommendations were disregarded.
Ravikumar held the government, along with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, responsible for the chaos and the tragic loss of life, as well as the hospitalization of numerous individuals.
He also expressed discontent with the government's decision to initiate three separate investigations into the incident.
BJP state General Secretary P. Rajeev accused the government of misusing its authority by proceeding with the event despite police warnings about security concerns. He questioned the expenditure of public funds on the celebration.
Rajeev noted that despite intelligence warnings about a potential large crowd, the authorities still granted permission for the event.
Prominent BJP leaders, including state chief spokesperson Ashwathnarayan and others, were present during the complaint filing.