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Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Sport
- Time of India
RCB banned from IPL 2026? Bengaluru stampede at Chinnaswamy stadium sparks speculation
Eleven people lost their lives and several others were injured during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory parade in Bengaluru. The event, meant to mark the team's first-ever IPL title win, turned into a stampede due to overcrowding and poor crowd control. Eyewitness accounts and video footage indicated a lack of proper exits, emergency medical services, and coordination between organisers and authorities. Police file FIR, arrests and resignations follow The Bengaluru Police have filed an FIR against RCB, the event management firm DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Police arrested Nikhil Sosale, RCB's head of marketing and an employee of its parent company Diageo, on Friday. Two KSCA officials — Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer ES Jairam — resigned on Saturday amid mounting political and public pressure. Several victims' families have also moved court, demanding strict action and compensation. BCCI says it was a franchise event The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that the parade was a franchise-led programme and not organised by the board. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said it was 'an unfortunate incident'. 'At some stage BCCI will have to do something. We cannot be a silent spectator,' Saikia told Cricbuzz. 'It was a private affair of RCB, but we at the BCCI are responsible for cricket in India, and we will try to ensure such incidents do not recur in future,' he added. The IPL is the BCCI's most valuable property, and the incident has placed the board in a difficult position. Calls for accountability are growing, but punishing a franchise could carry major commercial and legal consequences. Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT Ban rumours surface as investigation continues Speculation about a potential ban on RCB for the 2026 IPL season has surfaced on social media. In IPL's history, banning a franchise is not new. There is a precedent of team ban, including the temporary suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in 2015 after spot-fixing charges. However, the current matter involves loss of lives, and any decision to act will depend on the findings of the Karnataka government's ongoing investigation. If gross negligence is proven, BCCI may face pressure to act. No BCCI action yet As of now, there is no official word from BCCI on any punitive measure against RCB. The investigation continues, and the outcome will likely determine what steps, if any, are taken.
Scroll.in
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Scroll.in
Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka increase compensation to Rs 25 lakh for families of those who died
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday announced that the compensation for the families of those who died in the stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium has been increased to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 10 lakh, reported The Indian Express. Eleven persons were killed and more than 50 others were injured in the stampede that took place on Wednesday at Gate Number 3 of the stadium, where fans had gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory in the Indian Premier League and welcome the team. On Thursday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for each of the 11 families of those who died. The team also said it was setting up a fund, RCB Cares, to support those injured in the incident. 'The unfortunate incident…has caused a lot of anguish and pain to the RCB family…Our fans will always remain at the heart of everything that we do,' it said in a social media post. The compensation by the state government is in addition to the cricketing team's announcement. On Friday, the Karnataka Police arrested Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, along with event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks' Sunil Mathew, Kiran and Sumanth in connection with the stampede. This came hours after Siddaramaiah said that the state government had ordered the arrest of representatives from the Karnataka State Cricket Association, DNA Entertainment Networks and Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the stampede. The chief minister also suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and several police officers. Police warned against victory celebration: Report Hours before the stampede, a senior police officer had flagged concerns pertaining to overcrowding and a shortage of security personnel, reported The Indian Express on Sunday. 'Lakhs of cricket fans are likely to come to Vidhana Soudha,' MN Karibasavana Gowda, the deputy commissioner of police (Vidhana Soudha security), had told G Sathyavathi, the government secretary to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, on Wednesday, according to the newspaper. Gowda added: 'Since there is a shortage of security personnel, making bandobast will be a problem.'
News18
2 days ago
- Sport
- News18
RCB Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale Calls Arrest 'Illegal', Says Held On 'Siddaramaiah's Oral-Order'
Last Updated: The incident claimed 11 lives and left over 50 people injured during RCB's IPL victory celebrations. Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers, has moved the Karnataka High Court challenging his arrest in connection with the stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium. The incident claimed 11 lives and left over 50 people injured during RCB's IPL victory celebrations. Nikhil Sosale approached the high court stating that his arrest in the wee hours of Friday was based on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's oral instructions and was arbitrary and illegal. Sosale has petitioned the Karnataka High Court to contest his arrest, alleging that an FIR was filed against him following a 'late-night" cabinet meeting and after the court initiated suo-motu proceedings. His counsel submitted that police inspector AK Girisha (investigating officer), who filed the FIR, was himself suspended. 'Arrest is the domain of the IO, and it cannot be done on instructions from a superior," counsel said. In his petition, Sosale alleged that his arrest was an attempt to shift blame for the incident onto RCB and its staff. He pointed out that senior police officers were suspended for dereliction of duty, while he, a private citizen, was hastily arrested without a thorough investigation to determine individual responsibilities. He claimed his arrest violated his constitutional rights, specifically Article 19, as it occurred at night. He also argued that the 'hasty action reflected a predetermined agenda based on the chief minister's directive, without a proper investigation of his specific involvement, disregarding natural justice principles". Justice SR Krishna Kumar adjourned the hearing to June 9 after a brief session, stating that interim relief will be considered once the state government/police files a statement of objections. First Published: June 07, 2025, 11:16 IST
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru stampede: KSCA secretary, treasurer resign after 11 die RCB victory parade
Days after a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium left 11 people dead and dozens injured, two top officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) stepped down, taking moral responsibility for the tragedy, Indian Express reported. According to the report, on Saturday, KSCA Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer E S Jairam announced their resignations in a joint statement, just a day after both KSCA and RCB moved the Karnataka High Court over FIRs filed in connection with the June 4 incident. (Also Read: RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale says arrest 'illegal'; cites 'oral instructions' from Siddaramaiah 'Though our role was very limited, in light of the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have unfolded, we have tendered our resignations to the President of KSCA,' the statement read according to the publication. The resignation letters were dated June 6, 2025. The development comes amid growing legal and political fallout from the stampede that occurred during a felicitation event celebrating RCB's maiden IPL title win. The Karnataka High Court, which took suo motu cognisance of the incident on Thursday, has directed the state government to submit a status report by June 10. The court also granted interim protection from arrest to KSCA officials, provided they fully cooperate with the police investigation. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru police arrested four individuals in connection with the incident on Friday, including Nikhil Sosale, head of marketing at RCB, and three representatives of DNA Entertainment Private Limited — Sunil Mathew, Sumanth, and Kiran Kumar. The arrests were made at Kempegowda International Airport as the four allegedly attempted to leave the city. All four were later remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. In its submission to the court, the KSCA maintained that its involvement was limited to leasing the stadium and assisting in obtaining official permissions, the report added. The association argued that RCB and local law enforcement bore responsibility for ticketing, crowd management, and overall safety during the event. (Also Read: Bengaluru cop wears black armband, holds Ambedkar photo to protest B Dayananda's suspension, arrested)
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale says arrest 'illegal'; cites ‘oral instructions' from Siddaramaiah
Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Sports Ltd, has moved the Karnataka High Court challenging his arrest in connection with the tragic stampede at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and left 75 injured during RCB's IPL victory celebrations. According to a Times of India report, in a petition filed before the court, Sosale termed his arrest arbitrary, illegal, and politically motivated, alleging that he was taken into custody based on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's oral instructions following a late-night cabinet meeting. He argued that his arrest was a knee-jerk reaction, aimed at shifting the blame for the incident onto RCB and its staff, even before an investigation had clearly established individual roles. (Also Read: Bengaluru cop wears black armband, holds Ambedkar photo to protest B Dayananda's suspension, arrested) The arrest, carried out by city police in the early hours of Friday, came shortly after the High Court took suo motu cognisance of the stampede and sought accountability from the state. Sosale's counsel told the court that the FIR was filed by Inspector AK Girisha, who was himself later suspended — raising questions about procedural lapses and the legality of the arrest. 'Arrest is the prerogative of the investigating officer and cannot be carried out at the behest of political orders,' Sosale's counsel argued, adding that the decision violated his constitutional rights under Article 19, which guarantees personal freedom. The petition also cited a lack of concrete evidence tying Sosale to the logistical mismanagement that led to the disaster. The state government, represented by Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, countered that Sosale was detained while allegedly attempting to leave the country, a claim his legal team has not yet addressed publicly. After a brief hearing, Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar adjourned the matter to June 9 and said that interim relief would be considered after the government files its statement of objections. (Also Read: Lessons and questions from Bengaluru stampede tragedy that took 11 young lives)
