Under-fire IPL champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday said it will co-operate with all the legal proceedings after an FIR was registered against it in connection with the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in which 11 people were killed.

An FIR has been registered at the Cubbon Park police stations against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), in connection with the stampede, police said.

The stampede was not an unforeseeable accident. Bengaluru police had expressly advised RCB to postpone the parade to the following Sunday, according to multiple reports. They warned that a weekday event with little lead time would overwhelm security and crowd management resources.

But RCB chose to proceed on Wednesday, citing the unavailability of several overseas players later in the week. The decision to go ahead less than 24 hours after the IPL final, with minimal preparation time for the police, set the stage for chaos.

“We tried to discourage them,” a senior police official told Deccan Herald. “We told them Wednesday was a bad idea. There was no way to control the crowd with such short notice.”

RCB made a last-minute social media announcement at 3:14 p.m., and invited fans to the parade scheduled for 5 p.m, reported NDTV. The call drew an estimated crowd of over 200,000 people — six times the stadium’s seating capacity of around 35,000.

What followed was a disaster.

Inside the stadium, RCB continued celebrating with speeches, praises, waves and selfies. Photos and videos from the event show the players and dignitaries unaware of the calamity outside.

Later, after the celebrations were over, RCB issued a statement saying they amended their programme after learning about the tragedy and followed guidance of administration.

“We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed, the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe,” the statement said.

On Thursday, RCB announced financial assistance worth Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased and support for the injured—under the banner of “RCB Cares.”

RCB’s statements have focused on condolence and financial assistance. But the franchise has not taken responsibility for overriding police advice.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) distanced itself from the event, declaring it a local matter outside their jurisdiction.

Families of victims and eyewitnesses are left grappling with unanswered questions.

But former cricketer Madan Lal has summed it up: “RCB is also at fault. The franchise owner made an error in judgment.”0