Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to provide a copy of the status report on the June 4 stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, submitted by it in sealed cover, to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and DNA Entertainment Networks.
The court rejected the state’s justification for withholding the report, noting that the Supreme Court permits sealed cover confidentiality only in matters involving national security, public interest, or privacy rights—criteria that do not apply in this case.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi made these observations on Monday while deciding whether parties involved in the suo motu public interest litigation on the stampede should be given access to the report.
The stampede occurred outside the Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium while RCB was celebrating its maiden IPL title victory inside.
Responding to the state government’s argument that sharing the report could influence the ongoing judicial commission and magisterial inquiry, the bench called the concern unfounded and lacking in public interest justification.
It emphasised that retired judges and senior All-India Service officers heading the inquiries are not likely to be swayed by the contents of the status report.
The court reiterated that the suo motu proceedings were initiated to determine the cause of the stampede, assess accountability, and suggest preventive measures for the future. Withholding the report from key parties, while expecting their cooperation, would be "unfair", the bench said.
"If the sealed cover is opened and the report is shared with the respondents, they can help the court better understand the sequence of events, contributing factors, and whether the tragedy was avoidable," the judges observed.
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Kozhikode: There are strong indications that Nimisha Priya’s death sentence in Yemen may be revoked following significant progress in recent mediation talks. According to mediators, the family of the deceased Yemeni national Talal, who was killed, has agreed in principle to pardon Nimisha.
A press release from the office of Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar stated that some crucial decisions have been taken in the case. The developments follow high-level negotiations involving a delegation of Yemeni scholars appointed by Habib Umar bin Hafiz, a prominent scholar from Tarim, along with officials from northern Yemen and international diplomatic representatives.
Further discussions with Talal’s family are expected to finalise the terms, especially concerning compensation and legal formalities.
It may be recalled that Nimisha was scheduled to be executed on July 16. However, following the intervention of Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, the execution was temporarily postponed on July 15.