The Karnataka High Court has scheduled the next hearing for June 12 in a suo motu petition regarding the June 4 stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives.
The matter was taken up by a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice CM Joshi.
Advocate General Seeks Time, Cites Ongoing Inquiry
During the hearing, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty informed the court that he had not yet filed a response. He explained that a judicial commission has already been set up to investigate the incident and has been given a one-month deadline to submit its report.
Shetty added that disciplinary action has already been taken, with police officials suspended in connection with the incident.
Request for Confidentiality Amid Parallel Bail Hearings
The AG also sought permission to submit his response in a sealed envelope, citing sensitivity. He explained that in related bail petitions being heard separately, statements made in open court were being used by the accused, potentially undermining the judicial process.
The court accepted the request and directed Shetty to file the reply in a sealed cover before the next date of hearing.
Additional Petitions Emerge
In Tuesday’s proceedings, a former Member of the Legislative Council requested to be added as a party to the case. Additionally, a lawyer informed the court of his intention to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to the stampede.
Background
The High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the tragic incident on June 5, the day after the stampede. It had directed the state government to file a status report on the matter.
The court is closely monitoring the investigation into the deadly stampede, which occurred during a large-scale public event, sparking widespread concern over crowd control and safety protocols at public venues.
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