#ArrestKohli Trends, Blame Game On Over RCB Parade Tragedy

The hashtag #ArrestKohli has been trending on X (formerly Twitter) following reports that Indian cricket star Virat Kohli left for London shortly after a tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed the lives of 11 people.

Public anger has been mounting, with many netizens criticizing Kohli for leaving the country without acknowledging the tragedy or meeting the families of the deceased. His perceived indifference has sparked widespread backlash across social media platforms.

The incident occurred during the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) victory parade on June 4, held to celebrate the team’s maiden IPL title win on June 3. The parade, organized at short notice, drew a crowd of over 3 lakh people to a stadium designed to hold just 35,000, resulting in a deadly stampede due to poor planning and lack of crowd control.

The Karnataka government has announced an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh for each victim's family, while RCB and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) have promised an additional ₹5 lakh per family. Several observers have questioned the lack of any assistance from Virat Kohli.

On June 6, the Karnataka Police arrested four individuals in connection with the incident, including RCB's marketing head Nikhil Sosale.

The Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the tragedy and reprimanded the police for the mismanagement of the large-scale event.

As per the latest reports, the parade was allegedly held against police advice, with top officials urging RCB to postpone the celebrations due to inadequate preparation time.

According to police sources, RCB management allegedly exerted political pressure to proceed with the parade as scheduled. Officers stated that they were overruled and had no time to implement proper security measures, especially since police personnel had been on duty until 4 AM on the night of RCB’s win, managing celebrations across the city. Home Minister G. Parameshwara reportedly agreed with the police’s assessment on postponing the event, further reinforcing claims that RCB management ignored official recommendations and risked public safety.

While both Virat Kohli and his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, expressed their shock at the tragedy, the couple soon departed for London, where they currently reside. Their departure, perceived as insensitive, has only intensified the public outrage.