This Week in Explainers: How RCB’s victory was marred by stampede

It was a grim week for India. A celebratory event turned into horror as 11 people died in a stampede in Karnataka’s Bengaluru. The tragedy occurred when a sea of fans gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to mark the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL trophy.

India will hold its census after more than 15 years in two phases, beginning in 2026. The last population enumeration was done in 2011, with the next slated for 2021. However, it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Chenab bridge has been unveiled. The engineering marvel, which will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, is seen as a big strategic boost for India.

Here’s all this and more in our weekly roundup from India.

1. RCB lifted the IPL trophy on Tuesday night, ending the wait of 18 years. The elation of fans of Virat Kohli and the team knew no bounds. They were out on the streets in several cities, especially Bengaluru, to celebrate the hard-won victory.

A day after RCB defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL final, a victory march was organised in Bengaluru to felicitate the players. However, chaos erupted as lakhs of people gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium to catch a glimpse of their favourite team. Eleven people died and over 40 others were injured in the stampede that broke out on Wednesday.

Soon, questions emerged about organising the event when Karnataka authorities were not prepared to handle such a huge crowd. As the blame game began, Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah suspended senior police officers. Nikhil Sosale, who heads marketing and revenue at RCB, has been arrested in the stampede case. But why? We take a look here .

2. The Centre has announced the dates for the forthcoming census. The first phase of the population enumeration will begin in October 2026 for the snowy states and Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

The second phase will be conducted for the rest of the country with the reference date of March 1, 2027. This time, the counting of population will also entail a caste enumeration. The decennial census was last held in 2011. Why has it been delayed since 2021? Read our story to know more.

3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Chenab rail bridge , which is the world’s highest railway arch bridge. A part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, the bridge is expected to boost connectivity and economy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Built at a cost of about Rs 1,400 crore between Bakkal and Kauri in J&K’s Reasi district, the Chenab bridge is 1,315 metres long. Standing high at 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the Chenab riverbed, it is taller than the Paris’ Eiffel Tower. We explain why this bridge could be a game-changer for India .

4. A couple from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore travelled to Meghalaya last month for their honeymoon. However, their joy turned into tragedy after it came to light that the couple had gone missing after leaving their homestay in Nongriat village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district.

As the search began for Sonam and her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, the husband’s body was found in a deep gorge close to a waterfall in Sohra. His wife remains missing even after weeks. Police have now recovered a black raincoat that could belong to the young woman. Will it finally lead to Sonam? We take a look in this story .

5. A Pakistani businesswoman has been linked to the Indian YouTubers arrested in espionage cases. The name of Naushaba Shahzad Masood, who runs a ’travel agency’ in Lahore, emerged during the interrogation of social media influencers arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan.

Known as ‘Madam N’ by Pakistan’s spy agency – the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Masood facilitated the visit of several Indians, including YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, to her country. The Haryana-based influencer was arrested weeks ago. Now, the Punjab Police’s State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) has arrested another YouTuber, Jasbir Singh , for his alleged involvement in a Pakistan-backed espionage ring. Here is our report on them.

6. A young social media influencer shot to the limelight after she was arrested by the West Bengal Police for her alleged communal remarks while accusing Bollywood celebrities, particularly Muslim stars, of being silent on Operation Sindoor.

The arrest of Sharmishta Panoli , a fourth-year law student in Pune, sparked political outrage, with BJP leaders calling for her release. Wajahat Khan, whose complaint led to the arrest of the Instagram influencer, was also booked Kolkata Police. But why? We take a look in this report .

This is all we have for you this week. If you like how we explain news, you can bookmark this page.