‘We can’t remain mere spectators’ – BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia issues firm statement on Chinnaswamy stampede

Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, offered his thoughts on the tragedy that transpired during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s trophy celebrations on Wednesday, June 4, in the vicinity of Chinnaswamy Stadium. According to him, the BCCI will make every effort to ensure that a situation akin to the rush doesn’t arise again.

He argued that the BCCI needed to step in and make sure it was actively involved in putting an end to the recent disarray.

“BCCI will eventually need to take action. We can’t stand by and do nothing. According to Cricbuzz, Devajit Saikia said, “It was a private matter of RCB, but we at the BCCI are in charge of cricket in India, and we will try to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future.”

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, too expressed his thoughts on the situation the day before. Events like the one that went down were criticised by him for not happening again.

“Back when I played, I didn’t think roadshows were all that great. Not only do I not believe in them now, I will continue to do so in the future. Winning and celebrating are essential, but no one’s life is more significant than that. Therefore, it would be better for these roadshows to not happen if we are unprepared or unable to manage the throng in that manner,” he continued.

For those who were not aware, the festivities had descended into tragedy close to Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. In the chaos, eleven supporters lost their lives and numerous others were hurt. This has sparked a backlash across the country. The RCB administration and the police have both been swiftly targeted by the Karnataka State Government. A number of arrests have been made in connection with the same.

Three representatives of the event management firm DNA Entertainment Pvt Ltd and one RCB official were arrested by police on Friday. They were then placed under 14 days of judicial custody. However, the Karnataka High Court gave the KSCA officers temporary reprieve, which essentially shielded them from arrest.