An 11-person stampede during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) victory celebration in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has led to a formal complaint against Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, filed at Cubbon Park Police Station in Bangalore.
According to media reports, thousands of fans had gathered outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, where the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) hosted a ceremony to celebrate RCB’s IPL win.
Panic broke out at two locations during the celebrations, resulting in a stampede that claimed the lives of 11 people and left many others injured.
In the aftermath of the incident, Kohli expressed grief and condolences over the deaths via social media. However, he faced strong criticism from fans for continuing with the event despite the unfolding tragedy.
Social activist H.M. Venkatesh filed a complaint against Kohli, alleging that he promoted gambling through the IPL and incited crowds, contributing to the tragedy.
Police have clarified that no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Kohli as of yet, but the complaint is under investigation.
Following orders from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 11 RCB event organisers have been taken into custody. Meanwhile, the Bangalore High Court has remanded four team officials to 14 days of judicial custody.
In response, RCB announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for each bereaved family and set up the RCB Cares fund to support the treatment of the injured.
An official judicial commission has been constituted to investigate the incident and is expected to submit its report within 30 days.
