KSCA Secretary, Treasurer Resign After Bengaluru Stampede
In the aftermath of the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium that left several fans injured and raised serious questions about crowd management, two top office bearers of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) have stepped down. KSCA Secretary Raghuram Bhat and Treasurer Shavir Tarapore tendered their resignations, holding themselves morally accountable for the unfortunate incident.
KSCA Resignation After Chinnaswamy Tragedy
The stampede unfolded during the ticket sales for the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup warm-up match, creating panic as thousands of fans tried to purchase limited offline tickets. A severe shortage of counters and lack of proper queuing arrangements contributed to the chaos, with reports indicating that the crowd started pushing and shoving as patience ran out. Multiple fans fainted and required medical assistance as the situation spiraled out of control.
Following widespread criticism and public outrage over the mismanagement, the two KSCA officials took the decision to resign. “We were responsible for organising the event and the failure to ensure safety measures weighs on our conscience.”
Moral Accountability Taken by Officials
In their resignation letter to KSCA President and former India cricketer Roger Binny, both officials emphasized that their decision stemmed from moral responsibility. “We deeply regret the pain caused to cricket fans and believe that stepping aside is the right thing to do.” While no fatalities were reported, visuals of fans collapsing in the sweltering heat and chaos painted a grim picture of mismanagement at a venue that has hosted some of the country’s most memorable matches.
The resignations have added pressure on the KSCA to review its operational procedures and prevent recurrence of such events. It has also triggered calls for a larger probe into how offline ticket sales are handled, especially for high-stake matches. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to release an official statement, but internal discussions have reportedly begun to explore safer, tech-enabled ticketing systems.
Stadium Safety Measures Under Scanner
The incident has once again spotlighted the lack of basic crowd safety protocols at major sporting venues in India. Fans took to social media to express anger, not just over the injuries but also over the recurring issue of poor ticketing management, especially in the digital age. Authorities have confirmed that going forward, future ticket sales may be restricted to online platforms to avoid such crowding issues.
As cricket fever builds up for the World Cup, this incident stands as a grim reminder of the importance of event planning and the need to put fan safety above all.
