Karnataka HC grants interim bail to RCB marketing head in stampede case

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to four officials linked to Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) IPL victory event, arrested in connection with the June 4 stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

As per the media reports, Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar while granting bail, observed "prima facie impermissible arrest influenced by political directives", referring to the Chief Minister’s public statement on June 5 that preceded the arrests. The four accused, Nikhil Sosale (RCSPL), Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S and Shamant NP (DNA Networks), were taken into custody on June 6, despite not being named in the FIRs or held criminally liable at the time.

The court criticised the 10–11 hour delay in furnishing grounds of arrest, noting that the city police only communicated the grounds at 2:30 pm on June 6, much later than required by law. While the police denied this, the court said a signed acknowledgment by the accused confirmed the delay.

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The order underlined the lack of any direct or vicarious criminal liability on part of the individuals arrested, particularly since the FIRs did not name them, nor was there evidence of personal involvement in mismanagement. The HC also pointed to vague and evasive denials by the police when asked to clarify whether the arrests were influenced by the Chief Minister’s public comments. The petitioners had submitted media reports suggesting that their arrests were a consequence of political pressure rather than legal merit.

While granting interim relief, the court asked the accused to deposit their passports, remain within court jurisdiction, avoid witness tampering and cooperate with the ongoing criminal and magisterial probes. A personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties each was mandated.

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