The tragic stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the IPL victory celebrations on June 4 has led to a major breakthrough in the investigation. Nikhil Sosale, the head of marketing and revenue for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has been arrested by police in connection with the incident that claimed the lives of 11 people and left 64 injured.
Sosale, who works for Diageo India, was apprehended at Bengaluru airport while attempting to board a flight to Mumbai. His arrest is a significant development as authorities work to identify any lapses in event planning and crowd control that may have contributed to the stampede.
In addition to Sosale, three employees of DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., the firm responsible for managing the event, have also been taken into custody. Kiran, Sumanth, and Sunil Mathew are currently being questioned at Cubbon Park Police Station, where the first information report (FIR) was filed. The FIR names RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as accused parties.
Efforts are also being made to locate the secretary and treasurer of KSCA, who are reportedly on the run. A search of their residences has so far been unsuccessful.
Reports suggest that RCB’s social media team announced the parade on X (formerly Twitter) without consulting local police first. The post went viral, attracting over a million views, and is believed to have contributed to the large turnout. Permission for the parade was only sought after the announcement, and it was officially denied.
The fallout from the stampede has been widespread. The Karnataka government has suspended several high-ranking police officials, including Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda, due to serious lapses in crowd management and public safety.
The state government is facing mounting pressure from the public, with the opposition BJP calling for the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. Eyewitness reports and videos suggest that Shivakumar remained inside the stadium, posing for photos with the winning team, even after news of the stampede emerged.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities look into coordination failures among the event organizers, cricket authorities, and law enforcement. The tragic incident has highlighted the importance of proper planning and crowd control measures at public events to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
