RCB marketing head alleges selective arrest in Chinnaswamy stampede, blames CM pressure
Nikhil Sosale has alleged before Karnataka High Court that his arrest in connection with the June 4 stadium stampede was carried out not as part of a lawful investigation but under direct orders from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s head of marketing, Nikhil Sosale, appeared before the Karnataka High Court on June 10, challenging his arrest in connection with the devastating stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives on June 4.
Sosale’s counsel argued that he was unfairly singled out, asserting that the arrest lacked legal basis and was driven by “oral directives” from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta emphasized that while RCB, event management company DNA, and the KSCA were all implicated, only Sosale and three DNA affiliates were detained—raising questions over selective enforcement. He further questioned Sosale’s detainment at Mumbai’s airport in the early hours.
Chouta also claimed that these arrests were made only because of pressure exerted by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and not because the investigation required such arrests. Referring to the manner in which a first information report (FIR) filed in the case was drafted, Chouta said, "So anyone from DNA, RCB, KSCA can be arrested? What is their role? Nothing! Virtually ingredients of offence not there," according to a Bar and Bench report.
The advocate further urged that Sosale be given interim bail, in the meanwhile.
Justice SR Krishna Kumar for now has posted the case tomorrow to hear the State's reply.
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty urged the Court to hear the matter further tomorrow as he needed time to make a response. He asserted that the State had answers to all of the questions raised by the petitioner, the report added.
On June 9, the High Court said it was too soon to determine whether social media posts by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team were the direct cause of a deadly stampede that killed 11 people and injured dozens more outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The remarks came during a hearing on petitions filed by RCB and its event management partner, DNA Entertainment, seeking protection from arrest and the quashing of criminal charges related to the June 4 incident. As per reports, nearly 500,000 people reportedly gathered at the stadium’s gates after the team posted messages on X, formerly Twitter, inviting fans to attend a victory celebration. The stadium’s official capacity is approximately 33,000.
Justice Kumar, who is presiding over the matter, pushed back on arguments from Karnataka’s Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, who said RCB had acted recklessly by publicizing the event without coordinating with state authorities. But the court signaled caution in assigning blame.
It is premature to say that the entire sequence of events was triggered solely by RCB’s tweets or otherwise, Justice Kumar said. He added, “Today, we are not in a position to identify or to say that they are more responsible because of the tweet, or the government is. They are only asking for protection.”
The judge noted that interim protection from arrest had already been granted to officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, which has also been named in the case. He questioned why similar relief should not be extended to RCB and DNA.
The state has been instructed not to arrest any individuals not yet taken into custody while the matter is under judicial consideration. A further hearing has been scheduled for June 12.
The incident has raised broader questions around crowd management, social media influence and corporate responsibility in India’s lucrative and widely followed cricket industry.
