Virat Kohli Faces Criticism for Leaving India After Bengaluru Tragedy

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) celebrated a historic win after 18 years of heartbreak and anticipation. The city of Bengaluru erupted in joy as RCB qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs with a thrilling finish. However, what began as a moment of pride and unity soon turned into a national tragedy.

At the victory celebration held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, overcrowding led to a deadly stampede that claimed the lives of 11 fans and injured more than 50 others. The disaster has shocked the nation — not just for the loss of life, but also for the questions it raised about responsibility, event planning, and sensitivity from public figures.

In the aftermath, Virat Kohli, one of India’s most iconic cricketers and a key face of the RCB franchise, is facing widespread criticism for leaving India for London just a day after the tragedy. Social media exploded with the hashtag #ArrestKohli, and thousands of users questioned his silence and absence following the incident.

• The stampede occurred during an RCB fan event celebrating the team’s IPL playoff qualification.
• Massive crowd mismanagement led to panic and a rush near one of the gates.
• 11 people died, while over 50 others sustained injuries, some of them critical.
• The event reportedly exceeded crowd capacity, and emergency protocols were either delayed or ineffective.

• Visuals of Kohli at the Mumbai airport with his wife Anushka Sharma surfaced online on Thursday.
• The footage was taken just a day after the tragedy, which occurred on Wednesday evening.
• Kohli was reportedly flying to London, possibly for personal reasons or a scheduled break.

• The hashtag #ArrestKohli quickly became a top trend on X (formerly Twitter).
• Users questioned why the celebration was held at all, and speculated whether it was advanced to match Kohli’s travel plans.
• Many felt Kohli’s response — a single Instagram post offering condolences — was inadequate given the scale of the tragedy.
• Public sentiment reflected a demand for more active engagement or even a symbolic gesture of solidarity from the cricketer.

• On Instagram, Virat Kohli posted: “Deeply saddened to hear about the incident. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the victims.”
• The statement was viewed as formal and insufficient by many users, especially since no public appearance, visit to the victims’ families, or detailed statement followed.

• Police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of RCB, at Bengaluru airport while he was attempting to fly to Mumbai.
• Three employees of DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., the event agency involved, have also been detained.
• Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah ordered arrests of key stakeholders from RCB, KSCA, and the event management team.
• An FIR has been filed under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
• Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda and several senior officials were suspended for failing to act on prior warnings.

• RCB released a public statement expressing they were “deeply anguished” by the tragedy.
• The franchise announced ₹10 lakh compensation for each of the 11 victims’ families.
• They also pledged the creation of an ‘RCB Cares’ fund to support the 33 injured fans.
• Despite these moves, criticism has continued, especially targeted at the leadership and public faces of the franchise.

While Kohli may not be legally responsible for the stampede or its planning, his symbolic role as the face of RCB has placed him in the spotlight. In times of public crisis, celebrities are often expected to lead with empathy, visibility, and responsibility — especially when they are seen as representing the affected community.

The timing of his departure, juxtaposed with the mourning of 11 fans, made his absence more noticeable and controversial. For many, it wasn’t just about what he did or didn’t do — it was about what was expected of him as a public figure.

As Bengaluru mourns its dead and the injured recover, the question lingers:
Who speaks for the fans when the lights go off and the cameras turn away?

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