Bengaluru stampede aftermath: Saikia to head newly formed 3-member BCCI panel to draft safety norms

The decision taken in the 28th BCCI Apex Council meeting held on Saturday comes in the aftermath of the stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 4.

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it has formed a committee, to be headed by Secretary Devajit Saikia, which will be tasked to formulate guidelines in 15 days to prevent incidents like the Bengaluru stampede in future. The committee also has vice-president Rajeev Shukla and treasurer Prabhtej Singh Bhatia as other members.

The decision taken in the 28th BCCI Apex Council meeting held on Saturday comes in the aftermath of the stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 4, a day after it won the Indian Premier League 2025 final in Ahmedabad. With nearly two lakh fans trying to enter the stadium, a stampede occurred outside the gates that led to 11 tragic deaths and 33 fans being injured.

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The happenings outside Chinnaswamy had led to arrests of RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale, who is out on bail, as well as of DNA Entertainment Networks officials. It also led to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer E.S. Jairam resigning from their respective posts on June 6.

“The Apex Council expressed its profound grief over the tragic incidents in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, which led to the unfortunate loss of innocent lives. In light of the incident that occurred during the victory celebrations in Bengaluru, the Apex Council has decided to constitute a committee to formulate comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing such occurrences in the future. The committee will formulate the guidelines within 15 days,” said the BCCI in a statement.

The Apex Council also said it has established a working Group of five umpire coaches to oversee the development of umpires and enhance their on-field performance. “These five ‘Umpire Coaches’ must possess international umpiring experience and have served as former umpires,” said the BCCI.

Additionally, the Apex Council has further decided to form a Working Group consisting of three former Match Referees. “This Working Group will be responsible for monitoring the development of match referees and providing them with opportunities to improve their performance in cricket matches,” added the BCCI.