2 Months After RCB Stampede, Karnataka Assembly Passes 'Crowd Control' Bill

Over two months after the stampede that claimed 11 lives outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru felicitation ceremony on June 4, the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday passed a new legislation aimed at ensuring safety at mass gatherings and public events.

The Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025, seeks to regulate permissions, enforce safety measures, and impose strict penalties for violations related to mass gatherings.

The proposed rules, which - among other things - hold event planners and executors accountable, envisage three years in jail and stiff fines that begin from Rs 50,000 for violators.

For organisers, the Bill presents a long checklist -

Organisers must secure permission from designated authorities depending on the expected crowd size:

• For events with fewer than 7,000 people, permission must be obtained from the local police inspector.
• For gatherings of 7,000 to 50,000 people, the Deputy Superintendent of Police is the approving authority.
• For events with over 50,000 attendees, only the jurisdictional Superintendent of Police or Commissioner of Police can grant permission.

Organisers must apply at least 10 days before the event with a detailed plan for safety measures and crowd management, and secure clearances from multiple departments, including Fire and Emergency Services, Health, Public Works Department (PWD), and Traffic Police.

The Bill also says that the organisers must take full responsibility for any incidents during the event, including loss of life or damage to public and private property, adding that to obtain permission, organisers must execute an indemnity bond worth Rs 1 crore. An indemnity bond assures the holder of the bond that they will be duly compensated in case of a possible loss

As for security, the Bill says that the authorities, along with organisers, must prepare a detailed plan for crowd management and security, ensuring full compliance on the event day. Authorities can cancel permissions or stop ongoing events if emergencies or law-and-order issues arise.

What Is The Penalty?

• Imprisonment of three to seven years and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore will be imposed on organisers for holding events without required permissions.
• Up to three years of imprisonment and/or a Rs 50,000 fine for actions causing disturbance.
• For causing crowd disasters, the organisers will envisage a minimum of three to seven years of jail term for injuries, and 10 years of life imprisonment in case of fatalities.
• For disobeying lawful police directions, the organisers will have to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 and carry out one month of community service

The offences under this Bill are cognizable, non-bailable, and triable by the Judicial Magistrate First Class. However, cases involving fatalities in crowd disasters will be triable by a Court of Session.

Additionally, the Bill will not be applicable to family functions such as weddings held on private premises.

The Bill is a fallout of the massive criticism directed at the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led government after the stampede.

The RCB's maiden victory in the Indian Premier League after 18 years had become an emotive issue, drawing a massive crowd of supporters to cheer for the team at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The unexpected turnout near a narrow entry sparked chaos that led to the stampede.