Seven injured in stampede at Shah Rukh Khan and KKR's felicitation at Eden Gardens

Seven injured in stampede at Shah Rukh Khan and KKR's felicitation at Eden Gardens
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Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee gave away the awards

Bollywood, cricket and politics united in a lavish ceremony Tuesday, giving a royal salute to 2014 Indian Premier League champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders, and team owners Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla at a crowded Eden Gardens here.

Amid heightened security cover, the stadium's green turf was deluged in a sea of purple as nearly 50,000 fans, decked up in sports merchandise, and waiting with bated breath since morning, erupted in joy to get a glimpse of the players flanked by SRK, Juhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

However, the scenes of merriment in the historic ground did not match the chaos outside, as seven sports enthusiasts were injured in stampedes as they clambered over police barricades to gain entry into the arena. While some fell down, others were baton charged by the vastly outnumbered security personnel.

Police denied any cane charging, but claimed six of its personnel were injured. Though entry was made free, passes distributed were far less than the huge demand. Passes were even sold at high prices by blackers. But the gala affair on a 64×32 foot dais at Eden was nothing short of a major Bollywood event. Confetti rained down across the arena as Banerjee entered the stadium, and King Khan's arrival after a three-hour delay due to a technical snag in his flight drew tumultuous applause.

Dressed smartly in a white KKR jersey, a ponytailed SRK cut a giant cake -- in the shape of a stadium iced with the words KKR -- accompanied by Juhi, KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir and Banerjee.

Shah Rukh was -- as expected -- the centre of attraction -- as he partied and threw kisses towards the galleries. The Knights flanked by Shah Rukh and Chawla paraded the golden trophy for the sports buffs in the stadium, while around 1.5 lakh stood outside, unable to make it inside.