Karnataka drafts crowd control bill, event planners to face jail for violating law
Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.The Karnataka government has proposed a draft bill to manage and control crowds at large gatherings. The bill, which was placed before the Cabinet on Thursday, June 19, will be taken up for discussion next week. The draft bill holds organisers responsible for seeking permission from the police to conduct the events and prescribes a punishment of imprisonment of up to three years if they violate the conditions.The bill comes in the wake of the deaths of 11 people, including four teenagers, in a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4. The draft bill titled The Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Act, 2025, says that the organisers have to get police approval for conducting events, and the police have the right to impose certain conditions, including changing time, date, and venue or even cancelling the event. Violation of police orders and the law, according to the draft bill, can result in imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or both for the organisers.The same term of imprisonment has been applied to event planners as well, but the fine that would be levied on event planners would be up to Rs 5 lakh. The offences have been declared as non-cognisable and non-bailable. Event planners would also be considered as having committed an offence if there is any death or bodily injury at an event due to any disturbance.‘Not our event’: The blame game behind Bengaluru’s deadly cricket stadium stampedeThe bill also seeks to punish anyone considered to aid, abet or assist in committing a crime at the event or venue.The event planner is responsible for paying compensation to the family of the deceased or the injured person. In case the event planner does not pay compensation, the bill allows the government to collect the amount as arrears of land revenue. The event planner’s property can be auctioned by the government, according to the bill.The draft bill says it is not applicable to jatras, rathotsavas, pallakki utsavas, teppada terus, urus, or any religious event of any religion, caste or creed.Following the stampede, the government suspended police officials and also directed the police to arrest members of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and event managers, DNA Entertainment Networks.At present, the state government, the Karnataka State Cricket Association, RCB and DNA Networks are all slugging it out in the courts over who was responsible for the stampede.Bengaluru’s tragedy: Piecing together the Chinnaswamy stampede
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KARNATAKA government has proposed a draft bill to manage and control crowds at large gatherings.
The bill, which was placed before the Cabinet on Thursday, June 19, will be taken up for discussion next week.
The draft bill holds organisers responsible for seeking permission from the police to conduct the events and prescribes a punishment of imprisonment of up to three years if they violate the conditions.
The bill comes in the wake of the deaths of 11 people, including four teenagers, in a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4.
The draft bill titled The Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Act, 2025, says that the organisers have to get police approval for conducting events, and the police have the right to impose certain conditions, including changing time, date, and venue or even cancelling the event.
Violation of police orders and the law, according to the draft bill, can result in imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or both for the organisers.
The same term of imprisonment has been applied to event planners as well, but the fine that would be levied on event planners would be up to Rs 5 lakh.
The offences have been declared as non-cognisable and non-bailable. Event planners would also be considered as having committed an offence if there is any death or bodily injury at an event due to any disturbance.
The bill also seeks to punish anyone considered to aid, abet or assist in committing a crime at the event or venue.
The event planner is responsible for paying compensation to the family of the deceased or the injured person. In case the event planner does not pay compensation, the bill allows the government to collect the amount as arrears of land revenue.
The event planner’s property can be auctioned by the government, according to the bill.
The draft bill says it is not applicable to jatras, rathotsavas, pallakki utsavas, teppada terus, urus, or any religious event of any religion, caste or creed.
Following the stampede, the government suspended police officials and also directed the police to arrest members of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and event managers, DNA Entertainment Networks.
At present, the state government, the Karnataka State Cricket Association, RCB and DNA Networks are all slugging it out in the courts over who was responsible for the stampede.
