Police sources said over 5,000 personnel were deployed for crowd control, but chaos erupted as the crowd swelled, forcing authorities to use mild force to manage the situation
Published Jun 12, 2025 | 5:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 12, 2025 | 5:23 PM
RCB moves Karnataka High Court to expunge CAT remarks linking team to Chinnaswamy stadium stampede(Sriharikanth)
Synopsis: The Karnataka High Court has granted interim bail to RCB Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale and three DNA Entertainment staffers arrested over the June 4 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that killed 11 people. Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar ordered all four to surrender their passports. The arrests followed crowd control failures during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations. The accused were lodged in Central Prison
The Karnataka High Court granted interim release to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale and three staffers from DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd—Sunil Mathew, S. Kiran Kumar, and N.P. Shamant Mavinakere—who were arrested in connection with the 4 Junestampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives.
Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar, who heard the bail petitions, directed all four to surrender their passports to ensure they do not leave the country during the ongoing investigation.
The accused had been taken into custody by the Bengaluru police shortly after the fatal incident, which occurred during the crowd-packed victory celebrations of RCB’s IPL campaign.
They were lodged at the Central Prison until the court order.
The CID, which has taken over the investigation, had opposed their release citing the need for further interrogation, particularly regarding alleged lapses in crowd control and event coordination.
According to police sources, more than 5,000 personnel were deployed for crowd management during the event. However, chaos reportedly broke out as crowd numbers surged, prompting police to resort to mild force.
Visuals from the scene showed several injured fans being evacuated in ambulances.
The confusion was exacerbated by contradictory announcements. While the event was initially slated to begin at 3:30 PM from Vidhana Soudha, RCB’s official handle on X later declared a 5:00 PM start at Chinnaswamy Stadium, with free passes distributed online—a move that many believe contributed to the overcrowding.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
