In a major development following the tragic stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL celebration on June 2, the Bengaluru Police have arrested three top officials linked to the event’s planning and execution.
👥 Arrested:
- Nikhil Sosale, Head of Marketing & Revenue, Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Kiran Kumar, Senior Event Manager, DNA Entertainment Network
- Sunil Mathew, Vice President – Business Affairs, DNA Entertainment Network
Sosale was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport while attempting to leave the city. The arrests were made on direct instructions from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has taken stern action in response to the tragedy.
🔍 Key Government Actions:
✅ A judicial inquiry commission has been formed, headed by Justice Michael D’Cunha (Retd.), to investigate the stampede.
✅ FIRs have been registered, and the CID is now handling the investigation.
✅ Several top-ranking police officers have been suspended, including:
- B. Dayananda, Bengaluru Police Commissioner
- Vikash Kumar Vikash, Additional Commissioner (West)
- Shekhar H. Tekkannavar, DCP (Central)
- Officers from Cubbon Park Police Station
🗣️ CM Siddaramaiah’s Statement:
“We’ve ordered the immediate arrest of officials from RCB, DNA, and KSCA. The loss of life is unacceptable. A judicial commission has been given 30 days to submit its report.”
⚠️ Background:
The victory parade by RCB was held without adequate crowd control, leading to chaos outside the stadium gates. The lack of coordination between event organizers, the police, and stadium authorities is now at the center of the investigation.
📌 What’s Next?
The judicial inquiry and CID investigation are expected to uncover:
- Accountability of planning and security failures
- Negligence by organizers and law enforcement
- Systemic changes to prevent such disasters in future public events
