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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
RCB fully responsible for stampede, K'taka govt tells high court
The Karnataka government on Wednesday told the High Court that IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bore full responsibility for the deadly stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which left 11 people dead and several others injured. Opposing the bail plea of RCB's head of marketing, Nikhil Sosale, who was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on June 6, the state submitted that RCB's last-minute social media posts, including announcements about free passes and open invitations to the team's victory celebration, triggered the massive and unmanageable crowd buildup. The submissions were made before Justice SR Krishna Kumar, who has reserved orders on Sosale's bail application and is expected to pronounce the verdict on June 12. Terming the entire celebration 'illegal,' the government argued that RCB neither sought the requisite permissions nor implemented necessary safety measures to manage an event that ultimately drew lakhs of people. 'There was no permission taken. What they submitted was an intimation—not a formal request seeking approval,' Advocate General (AG) Shashi Kiran Shetty told the court. 'They tweeted to the world, inviting lakhs of fans without specifying who could enter or what protocols applied. The entire event violated legal norms,' he added. The AG cited multiple posts made from RCB's official handle on X (formerly Twitter) between 11:30 pm on June 3 and 8:55 am on June 4. These posts announced a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium but offered no details on ticketing, crowd control, or security arrangements. When Justice Kumar asked whether the state's position was that RCB was 'completely responsible,' the AG replied: 'Yes. They have tried to shift the blame to the State, but the entire responsibility lies with them. The event was illegal under the Karnataka Police Act and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with disobedience to lawful orders. This has criminal consequences.' Defending Sosale, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta argued that the marketing head was being unfairly targeted. 'He is merely an employee, not a decision-maker. He cannot be held vicariously liable for actions taken by the company,' Chouta told the court. Chouta also pointed out that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had publicly invited people to the event, but the AG refuted this claim. When the bench sought clarity on Sosale's personal responsibility, Justice Kumar observed: 'He is not even a director; just a marketing official. You cannot conflate the company with the individual. Show us a document where it's his responsibility to seek permission.' In response, the AG cited a tri-partite agreement between RCB, BCCI and KSCA to underline RCB's obligations but admitted that the document did not directly implicate Sosale. However, Shetty maintained: 'We have identified the right person for arrest based on the investigation so far.' Chouta further argued that the arrest was procedurally flawed, pointing out that it took place on June 6, even though the investigation had been officially transferred to the CID on June 5. The AG, however, countered that local police were well within their rights to act until the handover was formally completed and insisted the arrest was lawful. Sosale has also challenged the legality of his arrest, alleging that it was carried out at the behest of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah -- an act he contends exceeds the CM's constitutional authority in criminal investigations.
NDTV
15 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Karnataka High Court Reserves Order On RCB's Petition After State Concludes Arguments
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday reserved its order in the petitions filed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and its marketing head Nikhil Sosale, challenging the criminal proceedings in connection with the stampede deaths that occurred during the team's IPL victory celebrations. The order will be pronounced on Thursday at 2:30 pm. Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta reiterated that while certain companies have been named as accused, individual employees like Sosale were being targeted without specific charges. The counsel questioned the basis of police action against the individuals, alleging that proper procedure was not followed during arrests. Advocate General (AG) Shashikiran Shetty, representing the State, began his response by tracing the timeline of events following RCB's IPL victory. He submitted that plans for a victory parade were already in place before the team won the final, and this was reflected in internal communications and planning documents. According to the AG, RCB went ahead with event announcements on social media without obtaining any permission from the State. "The Karnataka Cricket Association (KSCA) merely sent an intimation on June 3. No official request for permission came from RCB," he said. The AG accused the petitioners of suppressing this information in court filings and misleading the judiciary. Calling the event "illegal", the AG said that under the Karnataka Police Act, a license is mandatory for such public gatherings. He added that ticketing, crowd management, and security were the responsibility of RCB and BCCI. On the arrests, the AG argued that Sosale was detained while attempting to leave the city shortly after learning he was named in the FIR. He laid out the timeline, noting that after the suspension of DCP Shekhar, the investigation was lawfully transferred to another officer, who supervised the arrest via the Ashok Nagar Police Station. "Due process was followed even during transfer of case to CID, and all arrest documents were provided to the accused, in reasonable time," the AG said. He contended that the arrests were legal, the petitioners were evading investigation, and that Sosale, in his official role, bore direct responsibility for the alleged lapses in safety and planning. "There were no barricades, no medical support, no permissions. The public was invited by RCB in an irresponsible manner, and the tragic deaths are a direct result of this negligence," he submitted. The AG further stated that unless the arrest is proven to be illegal, the petition seeking quashing of proceedings is not maintainable. He emphasised that there was no delay in providing arrest documents and that the petitioners were attempting to suppress key facts. The petitioners' counsel Mr Chouta responded by alleging that Sosale's fundamental rights were violated and once again questioned whether the Chief Minister had directed the arrest, as reported in the media. He pointed out that the State had not issued a specific denial on this issue. He also asked why several police officials were suspended or transferred if the government believes the entire responsibility lies with RCB and associated entities. After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order for Thursday afternoon.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC allows govt to file reply on stampede plea in sealed cover
The Karnataka high court on Tuesday allowed the state government's request to file its response in a sealed cover to questions posed by the court on the stampede that took place outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 dead and over 50 injured. The state government told the court that it does not wish to make any public disclosures related to the June 4 tragedy. Instead, it sought the court's permission to file its response in a sealed cover, citing concerns that its submissions could be misused or prejudged. Appearing before a bench of acting chief justice V Kameswar Rao and justice CM Joshi during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL), advocate general (AG) Shashi Kiran Shetty said the government's stand is that no information should be placed on record in open court until the conclusion of two ongoing inquiries –– one by a magistrate and another by a one-member commission. 'Our concern is that our submissions are being used out of context — for instance, in bail petitions,' Shetty told the court. He pointed to the case of Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who was arrested after the stampede. Shetty said Sosale was now citing an earlier clerical error in the government's court filings to claim his arrest was illegal. The AG's submission came during the hearing of proceedings initiated suo motu by the high court on June 5, a day after the deadly incident at the stadium, where a massive crowd surge occurred during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. More than 200,000 people reportedly gathered outside a venue with a capacity of just 30,000. The court had previously asked the state to furnish detailed responses on key issues: who authorised the event, what crowd control and emergency measures were in place, and whether any advance assessment of the turnout had been made. Pressed on the delay in filing its response, the state said it would comply if the court insisted, but only by submitting it confidentially. The court accepted this request and granted time until June 12 for the sealed filing. In the immediate aftermath of the stampede, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had ordered the 'immediate arrest' of officials associated with RCB, event organiser DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Sosale was arrested shortly thereafter. In separate proceedings, Sosale has challenged his arrest on two key grounds: One, the alleged lack of legal authority with the Chief Minister to order it, and two, the fact that he was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on city police instructions even after the case was transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Arguing Sosale's bail plea before a different bench on Tuesday, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta contended that Sosale had been 'selectively' targeted, while no criminal action was initiated against state officials involved in organising or authorising the event. AG Shetty again requested permission to file the government's reply in sealed cover in this case as well. Justice SR Krishna Kumar allowed the request and gave the State until June 11 to submit its justification for Sosale's arrest.
Mint
2 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Rahul Dravid breaks silence on Bengaluru stampede during RCB's IPL victory celebrations; here is what he said
Days after 11 people died and 56 were injured in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s IPL 2025 victory celebrations in Bengaluru, legendary cricketer Rahul Dravid on Tuesday expressed deep anguish over the incident. He called the incident "unfortunate" and "sad". "Yeah, very disappointing. Obviously, very sad. Thoughts go out to people," Dravid, a former India coach and captain, told NDTV. The stampede occurred on June 4 when nearly 2.5 lakh fans gathered in and around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricket stars. He also said the incident was particularly painful given the city's deep sporting culture. "This is a really sports passionate city. I come from here. People love their sport, not only cricket. People love sport in the city and they've really followed all the sporting teams here, whether it's been our football team or it's been our kabaddi team.' "And of course, the RCB is a really very well-followed team. So really sad, very unfortunate what happened. And our thoughts go out to everyone who unfortunately was injured and some of them who lost their lives," he added. Rahul Dravid is currently associated with IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals as a coach. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Karnataka State Cricket Association's (KSCA) secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam resigned from their respective position, taking "moral responsibility" for the incident. The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday denied interim relief to Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in the June 4 stadium stampede. Sosale was arrested on June 6 by the Central Crime Branch at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, when he was about to leave for Dubai. The court also reserved its order on his petition till June 11. In his petition, Sosale questioned the legality of his June 6 early morning arrest. He alleged that the police action was influenced by political directives. The single-judge bench of Justice SR Krishna Kumar heard arguments from both Sosale's counsel and the state before deciding to pronounce the interim order tomorrow.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Karnataka HC denies interim relief to RCB's Sosale in stampede case
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday denied interim relief to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) marketing head Nikhil Sosale in connection with the June 4 stampede at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 people dead and over 50 injured. Sosale, who was arrested on June 6 by the Central Crime Branch (CCB), challenged the legality of his arrest, alleging that the police action was politically motivated. According to a report by LiveLaw, Sosale maintained that there was no material evidence against him and that his name was not even mentioned in the FIR registered in the case. Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta argued that the Supreme Court has ruled that an individual cannot be detained if the arrest is found to be unlawful. Court examines role of CCB in arrest During the hearing, the High Court observed, 'CCB, notwithstanding being superior to this officer of Cubbon Park, did not have power to arrest in view of Sec 55.' Sosale's counsel questioned how the CCB became involved in the investigation when the Crime Investigation Department (CID) had been tasked with probing the stampede. 'CCB is not a police station but is said to be a superior officer in rank, as per a notification. They argue that CCB can conduct an investigation,' the lawyer said. The court further remarked that it was too early to determine whether an RCB social media post played a role in the deadly stampede. The observation came during a separate plea filed by RCB and event management firm DNA Entertainment, seeking to quash the FIR lodged against them. Arrests and political fallout Sosale was arrested along with three others, including employees of DNA Entertainment. The arrests followed a directive from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had ordered the Director General of Police and the Inspector General to take immediate action against officials from RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Siddaramaiah had stated that there appeared to be 'irresponsibility' and 'carelessness' on the part of the organisers, warranting legal action. The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing on June 11.
