- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11020-DB WP No. 16530 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 23RD DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA WRIT PETITION NO. 16530 OF 2025 (GM-RES-PIL) BETWEEN: 1. HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU, BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL …PETITIONER (BY SMT. S SUSHEELA, SENIOR ADVOCATE) (APPOINTED AS AMICUS CURIAE V/O DATED 23.06.2025) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY VIDHANA SOUDHA DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU-560 001 2. KARNATAKA STATE CRICKET ASSOCIATION (KSCA) NO.1, M. CHINNASWAMI STADIUM CUBBON ROAD, SHIVAJI NAGAR BENGALURU - 560 001 3. THE ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU (RCB) A COMPANY REGISTERED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013 HAVINGS REGISTERED OFFICE AT U.B. TOWER NO.24, VITTAL MALLYA ROAD BENGALURU - 560 001 Digitally signed by AMBIKA H B Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11020-DB WP No. 16530 of 2025 REPRESENTED BY ITS AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY MR. RAJESH V. MENON 4. THE DNA ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKS PRIVATE LIMITED (DNA) NO.7, OLD 215, BELLARY ROAD LOWER PALACE ORCHARDS ARMANE NAGAR BENGALURU - 560 080 (AMENDMENT CARRIED OUT AS PER ORDER DATED 17.06.2025) …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI K. SHASHIKIRAN SHETTY, ADVOCATE GENERAL A/W SMT. NILOUFER AKBAR, AGA & MS. ADOORYA HARISH, ADVOCATE FOR R-1, SRI A.S. VISHWAJITH, ADVOCATE FOR R-2, SRI C.K. NANDAKUMAR, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR SRI RAGHURAM CADAMBI, ADVOCATE FOR R-3, SRI B.K. SAMPATH KUMAR, SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR SRI SURAJ SAMPATH, ADVOCATE FOR R-4) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE WRIT/DIRECTION TO THE RESPONDENT TO FURNISH A DETAILED REPORT SPECIFYING THE REASONS WHICH LED TO THE TRAGEDY & ISSUE WRIT/DIRECTION TO THE RESPONDENT TO SUBMIT A REPORT AS TO WHETHER THE TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED & ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11020-DB WP No. 16530 of 2025 ORAL ORDER (PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE) 1. Mr. K.Shashi Kiran Shetty, the learned Advocate General has furnished a memo dated 13.01.2026 along with a copy of the Standard Operating Procedure for Crowd Control and Mass Gathering Management [SOP]. 2. The learned Advocate General submits that suggestions of the learned Amicus Curiae was also considered and incorporated in the SOP. 3. In the meanwhile, the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Place of Gathering) Bill, 2025 - which also concerns provisions of necessary safeguards has been referred by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for consultation. 4. The learned Advocate General submits that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly shall also consider the SOP in the context of the aforesaid Bill. He has also filed a memo to the said effect. 5. In view of the above, we consider it apposite to direct that the SOP dated 13.01.2026 prepared by the Government would be - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:11020-DB WP No. 16530 of 2025 operative till the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Place of Gathering) Bill, 2025 is passed and enacted as law. 6. We do not consider it apposite to pass any further orders in this petition except to grant liberty to the learned Amicus Curiae to seek revival of the same if causes arise. 7. The present petition is disposed of with the aforesaid observations. 8. We also express our deep appreciation for the assistance rendered by the learned Amicus Curiae and the learned counsel for the parties in this matter. Sd/- (VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE Sd/- (C.M. POONACHA) JUDGE KPS List No.: 2 Sl No.: 22