Bengaluru: Four individuals, including a senior marketing official of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), have been arrested in connection with the deadly stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this week. The incident, which occurred during the team’s IPL victory celebration, claimed 11 lives and injured over 60.
Among those arrested is Nikhil Sosale, a top marketing executive of RCB, who was taken into custody early Friday morning at Kempegowda International Airport while attempting to fly to Mumbai. Sosale oversees promotional activities and social media operations for the franchise and serves as a key liaison between the team and its management.
Three others arrested are affiliated with DNA Entertainment Private Limited, the event management firm responsible for organizing the celebrations. They have been identified as Sunil Mathew, Vice President handling IPL events, and two other staffers, Kiran and Sumanth.
The arrests follow the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The FIR was filed shortly after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered strict action, including the arrest of representatives from RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
The Central Crime Branch (CCB), led by DCP Akshay, conducted overnight operations resulting in the arrests. The accused are expected to be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) later today for further interrogation.
Meanwhile, two senior KSCA officials — Secretary Shankar and Treasurer Jayram — remain absconding, with police unable to trace them at their residences.
The tragic stampede unfolded on Wednesday evening as tens of thousands of fans gathered to celebrate RCB’s first-ever IPL title. Chaos ensued when gates to the stadium were overwhelmed, leading to a deadly crush.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, citing major lapses in crowd management. In his place, Seemanth Kumar Singh, Additional Director General of Police, Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force, was appointed as the new city police commissioner.
The BJP has launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led state government, demanding the resignation of both Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar. In response, Congress leaders accused the opposition of politicizing a tragedy.
Deputy CM Shivakumar, visibly emotional while addressing the press, admitted the incident had damaged Bengaluru’s global image. The FIR notes that RCB announced the event on social media without obtaining prior permission from authorities — a move that allegedly triggered the uncontrollable crowd turnout.
Grieving families of the victims have blamed the administration and event organizers for the lack of preparation and inadequate safety measures.
The investigation continues as the state reels from one of the worst public safety failures in recent memory.
