The stampede killed 11 people on June 4.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN
The Karnataka High Court on Monday said it was “too premature” to conclude whether the June 4 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, which killed 11 people, was triggered solely by a tweet from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), or other factors.
“This investigation will decide, among the three accused, who is responsible,” Justice SR Krishna Kumar observed.
“Assuming, after investigation, it says that the tweet didn’t have any impact at all… today we are not in a position to say whether the responsibility lies more with the tweet or the government. It is premature. They are only asking for protection.”
This comes as the Court heard a plea by Royal Challengers Sports Ltd (RCSL), which owns RCB, to quash the criminal case filed against it. The court also heard a separate petition by RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale, who was arrested at Bengaluru airport in connection with the stampede.
‘Political pressure’
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, representing Nikhil Sosale, questioned the legality and motivation behind his client’s arrest. He raised concerns over whether the arrest followed due legal procedure or was influenced by political pressure, allegedly on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s direction.
Chouta argued that the first issue to be examined was whether the Chief Minister had explicitly ordered the arrest. The second, he said, was whether the arresting officers, particularly from the Central Crime Branch (CCB), had the authority to act. “The arrest was made by CCB, not the regular police,” he told the court, as reported by Bar and Bench.
He also elaborated on the procedural lapses, noting that Sosale was arrested at 4:30 a.m. on June 6 without proper identification or disclosure of reasons by the arresting officers, with official documents only handed over at 8:20 a.m. Chouta maintained that there was no criminal intent behind the events, stating that the objective was merely to celebrate RCB’s victory on June 4, with a peaceful felicitation held at the Vidhan Soudha and a stadium celebration later cancelled due to a stampede. He claimed the arrest was not a result of an investigation, butbecause of certain directions, allegedly from the CM.
Trading blames
The matter was adjourned to Monday, with the judge noting: “Heard arguments by petitioner on interim relief. Relist on top of list tomorrow for reply by State.” The Court has ordered the State not to arrest any more officials of RCB or event manager, DNA until it hears their petitions next on June 12.
Meanwhile, the political fallout continues. CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are expected in Delhi on June 12, after being summoned by the Congress high command. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will travel to Delhi tomorrow. He will meet party leadership and brief them on the latest developments,” said an official statement from the CM’s Office.
On Sunday, Siddaramaiah distanced himself and his party from the tragedy, blaming suspended officials, including former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda. He said he was only informed about the stampede at 5:45 pm on the day of the incident.
Published on June 9, 2025