Overview

• The Assembly referred the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Places of Gathering) Bill to a House Committee after objections from the BJP and JD(S) over its scope and potential misuse.
• The draft sets tiered permissions based on expected attendance: under 7,000 by the local police station, 7,000–50,000 by the DySP or ACP, and above 50,000 by the SP or Police Commissioner.
• Offences are cognisable and non-bailable, with three to seven years’ imprisonment for unpermitted events and 10 years to life if fatalities occur, alongside fines up to ₹1 crore and organiser liability for property damage.
• Home Minister G. Parameshwara proposed changes including cutting the advance application period from 10 to five days and exempting family functions, religious events, mass marriages and government programmes, while indicating relief from the ₹1 crore indemnity bond for religious or smaller gatherings.
• The legislation follows the June 4 stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11, as investigations and disciplinary actions continue and opposition leaders press for clearer distinctions between commercial, political and spontaneous events.