Bengaluru, June 9 (UNI) The Karnataka High Court on Monday questioned the state's conduct in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede probe, following allegations that the arrest of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale was carried out under the direct instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, bypassing legal procedures and jurisdiction.
Hearing a clutch of petitions filed by RCB and event partner DNA Entertainment Networks seeking quashing of criminal cases related to the June 4 stampede, which claimed 11 lives and left 56 injured, Justice SR Krishna Kumar observed that it would be premature to conclude that RCB’s social media posts were the sole or primary cause of the tragedy.
Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, appearing for Sosale, alleged that his client was illegally arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) despite the case having been transferred to the Crime Investigation Department (CID). He claimed the arrest at Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of June 6 was politically driven.
“This arrest was not supported by law. There was no preliminary inquiry. The direction came from the Chief Minister,” Chouta told the Court. He further submitted that Sosale was not informed of the reasons for his arrest, nor was he presented with official identification or documentation at the time of arrest.
“At 4.30 AM, he was arrested by CCB officers, not CID. Only at 8.20 AM was any documentation given. The law requires badge, identity, and arrest memo to be produced,” Chouta added.
In response, Justice Krishna Kumar said the matter would be taken up on June 10 and asked the state to submit its reply before deciding on interim relief for Sosale.
The judge also questioned the unequal treatment of different parties in the case. While interim relief from arrest had been extended to officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the state was resisting similar relief to RCB and DNA.
“You have granted relief to KSCA. Why not them (RCB and DNA)? They are before the court,” the judge said, urging the state to adhere to a “gentleman’s agreement” and instruct investigators not to arrest any other RCB or DNA officials until the next hearing on June 12.
Earlier, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty accused RCB of “recklessly” inviting the public to the IPL victory celebrations at Chinnaswamy Stadium by issuing three tweets on social media platform X, which he claimed had reached 13 crore users. The stadium, with a seating capacity of 33,000, saw nearly 5 lakh people descend on its gates, leading to the deadly stampede.
Shetty also argued that RCB announced the celebrations in Ahmedabad without seeking permission from the state. “Your lordships are ignoring facts. The three tweets – they caused the stampede!” he submitted.
However, Justice Kumar remarked, “We are not in a position to say today that RCB/DNA or the government is more responsible… It is premature. They are only asking for protection.”
Senior Advocate CV Nagesh claimed that the Chief Minister himself had extended an open invitation to the public, not RCB. “I have not invited anybody. It was the Hon’ble Chief Minister,” Nagesh argued.
This statement was met with strong objection by the AG, who termed it factually incorrect and insisted RCB’s tweets were the trigger.
Meanwhile, the court has also taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and is scheduled to hear the state’s status report on the stampede on June 10.
Justice Krishna Kumar reiterated that no further arrests should take place until the Court delivers a decision.
“When I am seized of the matter… don’t arrest anyone. Otherwise, there will be one more case,” he warned. UNI BDN