Chinnaswamy stampede: Karnataka High Court dismisses DNA's plea against judicial commission report

The Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed the plea moved by event management house DNA Entertainment Networks challenging the judicial commission report which held the company and its officials among those responsible for the June 4 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede. [DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited v. State of Karnataka & Ors.]..A Bench of Justices DK Singh and Tara Vitasta Ganju delivered the verdict..The Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede unfolded after a crowd of over 3 lakh fans gathered in hopes of meeting the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team a day after their June 3 IPL cricket win. The cricket team was supposed to arrive at the stadium on the evening of June 4. However, the victory celebrations were cut short when a stampede occurred at the gates of the stadium, leading to the death of 11 and leaving over 50 people injured.The State eventually ordered an inquiry into these events by a judicial commission headed by retired High Court Justice John Michael D' Cunha to discern what led to the stampede and to suggest corrective measures.In his report, Justice Cunha opined that the stampede took place because the event's organisers were reckless and failed to regulate the entry of crowds into the stadium.He recommended legal action against RCB, DNA and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which makes decisions on renting out the Chinnaswamy stadium. He also recommended legal action against several officials, including police..DNA challenged these findings, arguing that it was the police and other State authorities who were responsible for not properly managing the entry of cricket fans present outside the stadium, leading to the stampede.Among other submissions, DNA argued that the haste with which the inquiry report was submitted gave an impression that the State wanted to save its skin. It added that the inquiry commission was a mere "eye wash" to pacify the public and deflect blame by making DNA a scapegoat, it added.Senior Advocate BK Sampath Kumar, who appeared for DNA, submitted that DNA's officials were not given a proper opportunity to be heard by the inquiry commission. He raised concerns that these findings may now be relied upon by the State in criminal proceedings.Sampath went on to argue that DNA officials were 'named and shamed' by the State, which has severely affected their reputation. .However, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, appearing for the State and countered that the State cannot be blamed for any 'naming and shaming' of DNA officials.He pointed out that long before the inquiry commission report was finalised, newspapers had been naming DNA officials in connection with the stampede. If anything, he added, the inquiry commission's comments on DNA officials were less adverse than what was carried in media reports, he said.He added that criminal proceedings initiated in connection with the June 4 stampede are independent of the inquiry commission's proceedings. He assured that if the State decides to rely on the inquiry commission's report, notice of the same would first be given..DNA's petition was filed through advocate Suraj Sampath of BK Sampath Kumar & Associates.The matter was earlier heard in some detail by another Bench of Justices Jayant Banerjee and SG Pandit before it was listed before the Bench of Justices Singh and Ganju..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.