Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)

Udupi, Jun 9: “I have never filed any case regarding the incident and was unaware that a case had been registered in my name over the stampede during the RCB victory celebration in Bengaluru,” said Rolan Gomes, whose name was used as the complainant in the FIR filed in connection with the stampede.

Rolan Gomes, a native of Shirva in Udupi district, told Daijiworld on June 7, “After I sustained injuries during the stampede, I was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru. The police came to the hospital and recorded my statement as an eyewitness. I was not informed that an FIR would be filed using my name and statement. My personal details and phone number were also made public without my consent.”

Gomes, who has been working in an IT company in Bengaluru for the past 3–4 years, is an avid cricket fan since India’s 2011 World Cup victory. He described the atmosphere in Bengaluru on the night of RCB’s IPL win as celebratory and festive.

He said he learned about the victory parade and celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium through RCB’s social media handles. He and three of his friends decided to attend the event. “Initially, it was announced that an open-bus parade would be followed by a celebration at the stadium at 5 pm. We reached the venue by 2 pm, but there was no proper information about ticketing. The gates were closed, and no event management personnel were present to guide or manage the crowd,” he recalled.

“We waited near Gate Number 17. At 3:30 pm, an announcement was made that entry passes would be available for free on the RCB website. However, due to poor network connectivity, most people were unable to access the tickets. As the crowd swelled, panic began to spread. Around 3:50 pm, another announcement stated that entry would be allowed without tickets and people were asked to move in systematically. But it was too late. The crowd surged all at once, and there was no official presence to manage the situation,” Gomes said.

Sensing danger, Gomes and his friends tried to leave the venue, but the massive crowd made it impossible. As chaos unfolded, a barricade collapsed. “One of my friends fell, and while trying to help him, my leg got stuck in the barricade. People began to fall on top of each other. The last thing I remember is someone falling on my stomach, and due to suffocation, I lost consciousness,” he said.

According to Gomes, police officials began clearing the area around 4:30 pm. “They sprinkled water on my face, gave me ORS, and shifted me to a private hospital for treatment,” he said.

He estimated the stadium’s capacity to be around 30,000 to 40,000, but claimed that nearly 2 to 3 lac people had gathered for the event. “This incident reflects a lack of planning and awareness. There may be literacy, but there’s no practical knowledge or humanity in crowd behaviour. This was a collective failure involving the public, organisers, and event management,” he added.