BENGALURU: Karnataka govt has drafted a sweeping crowd-management bill holding event organisers criminally and financially liable for stampedes and crowd surges at mass gatherings, weeks after 11 people were crushed to death and over 75 injured outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations on June 4.

Tired of too many ads? go ad free now

The Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025, accessed by TOI, proposes up to three years in jail and a Rs 5 lakh fine for commercial event organisers violating safety rules. Non-commercial organisers – including political and religious groups – face the same jail term or a smaller fine of Rs 5,000, or both.

The bill mandates that event organisers apply for permission from the jurisdictional police station, which may alter the venue in case of risk or emergency.

Local police and district magistrates – typically deputy commissioners – are granted wide-ranging powers to curb, cancel, or relocate events, and to intervene if there is even an apprehension of disorder, violence, or communal tension. Once issued, orders from district authorities will remain in force for 30 days, extendable to 60 days in special cases.

In the event of a stampede, the bill mandates punishment for planners and anyone who aids or abets them. It also directs organisers to pay compensation to victims. If compensation isn’t paid, govt may recover it as land revenue dues – including auctioning the organiser’s property. The draft legislation will be released publicly in the coming days. If passed, it is expected to impact the way large gatherings are held in Karnataka, including political rallies.