Bengaluru Police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, the marketing and revenue head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Diageo India, in connection with the deadly stampede that occurred outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, June 4. Sosale was taken into custody at Bengaluru airport while attempting to board a flight to Mumbai. In a separate operation, three employees of DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., the agency responsible for organizing the victory celebration, were detained. The individuals—Kiran, Sumanth, and Sunil Mathew—are currently being interrogated at Cubbon Park Police Station, where the FIR was first lodged. The report names RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as primary accused in the incident.
According to officials, KSCA’s secretary and treasurer are currently absconding, and police teams were unsuccessful in tracing them during home visits. Authorities also disclosed that RCB failed to notify the police prior to announcing the victory parade on social media, despite eventually being denied permission for the event. The online post, which garnered over one million views, triggered massive crowd movement without any formal security arrangements. This lack of coordination is being cited as a significant factor leading to the chaos that resulted in the death of 11 people and injuries to at least 64 others.
The Karnataka government has come under severe criticism for what many are calling a massive administrative failure. Several senior police officials, including Bengaluru City Commissioner B. Dayananda, have been suspended due to negligence in crowd and event control. The BJP has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, citing their responsibility in the tragic mismanagement. Reports claim that Shivakumar was present inside the stadium, taking photos with the IPL 2025 champions, even after being informed about the ongoing stampede outside the venue.
