"The Home Minister came and went. I have one child, please return him to me. I don't want a postmortem, what happened, happened. Just bring my son back to me, I can't live without him for even an hour. I've looked after him for 22 years, and today he died because of all of you. Just return him to me."
These words, striking at the very heart of those who hear them, come from a father whose son was tragically killed in the Bengaluru stampede. Unable to accept the loss, he questions why his 22-year-old son was taken from him. All his son wanted was to be part of a celebration, but instead, he returned home as a lifeless body, leaving the household empty with his absence.
This is just one of the many stories emerging in the wake of the chaos. Countless families are left in mourning, desperately seeking answers. Each silent face among the victims begs the question: what did we do to deserve this end?
Source: aajtak
Shiva Lingaswamy, originally from Yadgir district, was living in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, with his family. He had just passed his 10th-grade exams this year and told his family he was going to pick up his transfer certificate for PU admission. However, he headed straight to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he met his tragic fate.
Source: aajtak
Poorna Chandra from Rajsamudra, Mandya district, worked as a civil engineer in Mysore. He attended the RCB fan celebration at Chinnaswamy Stadium and was caught in the mayhem that ensued.
Source: aajtak
'She Wanted To See Virat Kohli...'
Divyanshi's mother, mourning her daughter's tragic demise in the stampede, shared, "She dreamed of becoming a pilot or a doctor. I don't know whom to blame. We had no plan to enter the stadium. We calmly sat on the sidewalk and watched. She was passionate about cricket and knew everything about her favorite players. She really wanted to see Virat Kohli."
Divyanshi's mother continued, "I was breathless. I saved someone, but within five minutes, she was gone. I thought she had gone inside. Later, I found her. Her teachers praised her endlessly. Two years in her new school, and she was a shining star, an angel to me."
Source: aajtak
Her mother added, "She was a gem, an angel. I have to blame the traffic police; didn't they know how to manage the crowd? There wasn't enough police presence. It was chaos while the government celebrated inside. Humanity needs to shine from within; you can't fabricate it."
'A Lifetime of Grief'
Chinmay Shetty, a 19-year-old first-year engineering student and classical dancer without a particular interest in cricket, was drawn to the event at her friends' behest. Tragically, she too became a victim of the stampede on that fateful Wednesday.
Source: aajtak
Her father, Karunakara Shetty from Banashankari, Bengaluru, expressed deep sorrow over her untimely demise, "The sudden and tragic loss of my daughter has left me with nothing but a lifetime of grief. This event shouldn't have been organized in such a hurried and disorderly manner."
The city of Bengaluru was in a celebratory mood on June 4, following the historic IPL victory of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This festive spirit quickly turned into mourning when a stampede near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in 11 deaths and over 40 injuries.
The excitement was high as RCB announced a celebratory event with fans just one day after winning the IPL 2025 finals by defeating Punjab Kings, ending an 18-year wait for glory.
Local authorities initially denied permission for an open-top bus parade from Vidhana Soudha to Bengaluru Stadium, a mere kilometer apart. However, more than 200,000 eager fans poured into the area, hoping for a glimpse of the victorious RCB team as they brought back the trophy after a long wait. Fans gathered despite entry being restricted to pass holders only, crowding around the stadium.
Source: aajtak
Initial reports shared with the government indicated the chaos started when a temporary slab over a drain near the stadium collapsed under the weight of those standing on it, sparking panic and the fatal stampede.
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'We've Taken Responsibility...'
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge remarked, "The stadium's capacity is 35,000, but nearly 300,000 people crowded the streets. We've taken every possible measure on our end, but controlling the crowd was impossible. We've assumed responsibility and will implement corrective steps."
'We Were Just Part Of The Celebration...'
Karnataka Minister G. Parameshwara explained, "We didn't organize this. We had no request from RCB or KSCA for a celebration. It was their arrangement. We felt the government should be honored. This was Bengaluru's team, and we decided to join the celebration. That's all there is to it. We never said we would organize it; RCB and KSCA brought the team to Bengaluru for the celebration."
