KSCA Secretary and Treasurer Resign Following Bengaluru Stampede Tragedy

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Bengaluru Stampede: In the aftermath of the tragic stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and left several others injured, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary A Shankar and treasurer E Jairam have stepped down from their posts with immediate effect.

Their resignations, submitted late on Friday night, were officially confirmed on Saturday, June 7.

In a joint statement issued via press release, the two officials said:

"This is to inform that due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have unfolded in the last two days and though our role was very limited, but owing moral responsibility, we wish to state that last night we have tendered our resignation to our respective posts as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, by way of a letter dated 06.06.2025 to the President of Karnataka State Cricket Association."

The tragedy occurred following a massive crowd surge outside the stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations. The KSCA, along with RCB, had issued a media invitation for the event, which drew lakhs of fans to the venue. The post was later deleted, but by then the crowd had already gathered in overwhelming numbers. While the felicitation ceremony at Vidhan Soudha went off without major incident, chaos erupted outside Chinnaswamy, forcing the cancellation of the planned public celebration. The indoor function continued despite the unfolding crisis outside.

Earlier, KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, along with secretary Shankar and treasurer Jairam, submitted in the Karnataka High Court that the responsibilities of gatekeeping and crowd control did not fall under their jurisdiction. They also confirmed that the association had only facilitated the necessary approvals for the event, which was being organized by an external agency.

Their resignation came just hours after a PTI report revealed that the KSCA had indeed sought formal clearance to host RCB's trophy celebration at Vidhan Soudha, further fueling criticism and scrutiny over their role in the incident. The KSCA reiterated that the organizing company was tasked with handling event arrangements.

The fallout from the stampede continues, with investigations ongoing and questions being raised about planning, accountability, and crowd safety measures.