(Image source from: BCCI)

The police in Bengaluru have taken into custody Nikhil Sosale, the marketing director for RCB, concerning the stampede that transpired outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, June 4. Sosale, who oversees marketing and revenue for RCB at Diageo India, was apprehended at the Bengaluru airport as he was reportedly preparing to depart for Mumbai. In a separate incident, three employees of DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., the firm responsible for organizing the victory celebrations, were also detained for questioning by the authorities. These individuals, named Kiran, Sumanth, and Sunil Mathew, are currently being interrogated at the Cubbon Park Police Station, which is the location where the FIR related to the stampede was filed. RCB, the event organizing body, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) have been listed as defendants in the case.

In addition, officials from the KSCA, including the secretary and treasurer, are reportedly evading capture. The police attempted to locate them at their residence but were unsuccessful. Reports indicate that the RCB management did not seek police approval prior to posting on social media about their victory parade, which subsequently went viral, attracting over a million views. It has been claimed that they later sought permission from the police for the parade, which was ultimately refused. This development follows the Karnataka government’s suspension of several senior police officials, including Bengaluru City Commissioner B Dayananda, due to failures in management that contributed to the stampede that resulted in 11 fatalities and 64 injuries. The government of Karnataka has faced heavy criticism for what some have labeled as negligence and poor oversight leading to the tragedy, with the BJP demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar. Reports have emerged stating that the latter was present at the event inside the stadium, taking photographs with the team that won the IPL 2025, even after being made aware of the stampede.