DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited has filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court seeking the quashing of three FIRs registered against it in connection with the stampede that occurred outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025. The tragic incident took place ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) victory celebration following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
The company claimed in its plea that the stampede occurred due to an uncontrollable crowd of over 3 lakh people and a lack of police deployment outside the stadium. According to the petition, the chaos escalated when the police resorted to a lathi charge, which led to panic and disorder among the public gathered on roads and footpaths outside the stadium.
Read Also:-RCB Moves Karnataka High Court to Quash FIR Over Bengaluru Stampede During Victory Celebration
"The said devastating incident occurred due to the fact that the Police did not provide sufficient personnel commensurate with the size of the crowd that suddenly gathered from all across Karnataka as well as from different parts of the country," the plea said.
DNA Entertainment further alleged that due to mismanagement by the police and the state authorities, several people were injured in the stampede and 11 people lost their lives.
The petition specifically pointed out that the Cubbon Park police inspector, who had jurisdiction over the stadium area and was responsible for crowd control, registered a suo moto complaint. It is alleged that this was done to shift the blame away from the police force, especially after reports emerged that the State Government was likely to take action against officers for negligence.
Read Also:-Karnataka High Court Refuses Interim Relief to RCB's Nikhil Sosale in Bengaluru Stampede Case
"In fact, the majority of the police force was concentrated at the Vidhana Soudha, leaving the stadium to the mercy of the huge crowds which had gathered outside the stadium," the petition claimed.
According to DNA Entertainment, two more FIRs were filed against it within hours of the first one, based on the same incident. The plea stated that none of the FIRs contain any specific allegations or overt acts attributed to the company, its representatives, or employees. It contended that these FIRs are in clear violation of legal principles, and the company has been wrongly implicated.
In a serious allegation, the company claimed that two of its officials were arrested by the police in the early hours of June 6, 2025, under direct instructions from the State Government. It argued that the arrests were made without conducting any preliminary investigation, which goes against established legal norms, especially concerning politically influenced decisions.
"The FIRs are falsely implicating the company in order to protect their (police) position and are trying to arrest all and sundry who are not named in the impugned FIRs," the company stated in its petition.
DNA Entertainment also argued that there were no lapses on its part in organizing the event. It said that the FIRs appear to have been registered hastily and under political pressure to deflect attention from the failures of the authorities.
The company has urged the High Court to quash all three FIRs, arguing that they are baseless and have been lodged to avoid disciplinary proceedings against police officials. As interim relief, the company has sought a stay on all proceedings arising from the FIRs.
