Karnataka High Court disposes of suo motu PIL on stadium stampede

The Karnataka high court on Monday disposed of a suo motu PIL, registered in connection with the stampede at M Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, 2025, in which 11 people lost their lives.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha, passed this order after the state government assured that the contents of the draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as well as the suggestions by amicus curiae would be considered by the Legislative Assembly panel which is considering Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing crowd at events and places of gathering) Bill, 2025.

Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty submitted that the bill has been referred to a committee for the consultation process. The suggestions, incorporated in the revised SOP dated January 10, 2026, would also be considered.

Senior advocate S Susheela, amicus curiae, who assisted the court in the suo motu PIL, submitted that there are some critical gaps in the proposed legislation when compared with the provisions incorporated in the SOP placed before the court.

After recording the assurance of Advocate General, the bench disposed of the suo motu PIL, reserving liberty to the amicus curiae to seek revival of the petition in case a cause arises.