Karnataka High Court Grants Temporary Release for RCB Official and Three Others in Bengaluru Stampede Incident

Karnataka High Court on Thursday has granted interim bail to RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale and three others who were detained in relation to the June 4 stampede that occurred during the team’s victory celebrations, resulting in 11 fatalities in Bengaluru.

Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S, and Shamant N P Mavinakere from the event management company DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd are the others who have received relief from the High Court. The trio was arrested on June 6 by police.

The individuals have been instructed to surrender their passports, however.
The stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium led to the death of 11 people as RCB celebrated their long-awaited IPL victory after defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The case was heard by Justice S R Krishna Kumar, who reserved the ruling on Sosale’s interim plea after hearing arguments on June 11.

Sosale and the other petitioners are currently in judicial custody.

On June 9, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) presented Sosale and the other three arrested individuals before a local magistrate court, requesting nine-day custody. However, the magistrate court postponed the decision pending the High Court’s ruling.

The judge also considered the petitions from Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, which oversees RCB, and DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, seeking to dismiss the FIR against their officials.

Justice Krishna Kumar indicated that the petitions would be addressed alongside the one filed by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KCSA).

The court stated that the understood agreement — to refrain from any action until the matter is taken up — will remain in effect until then.

(With PTI inputs)