Chinnaswamy Stampede at RCB Event, State Acts: Arrests, Suspensions, and Inquiry Spark Political Storm

Marketing Head of RCB Held at Bengaluru Airport

In a major crackdown after the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru police made several arrests. Four individuals were taken into custody, including Nikhil Sosale, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) marketing head. Sosale is a key liaison between the team and its management. He was intercepted at Kempegowda International Airport. He was trying to leave for Mumbai early Friday.

FIR Leads to Arrests of Event Organisers

The arrests occurred after an FIR was filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. This includes charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Others arrested include top executives of DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., the agency responsible for organising the event — Vice President Sunil Mathew, along with Kiran and Sumanth.

KSCA Officials Absconding

Meanwhile, two senior officials from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), secretary Shankar and treasurer Jayram, are reported absconding. Police said efforts are underway to trace their whereabouts.

Over 60 Injured, 11 Dead in Massive Stampede

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening as thousands gathered to celebrate RCB’s historic IPL victory. In the chaos, over 60 individuals were injured and 11 lost their lives. The uncontrolled crowd surge outside the stadium has led to widespread outrage and mourning.

Also read: Tragedy Strikes RCB Victory Parade Outside Chinnaswamy Stadium: 7 dead, dozens injured in Stampede

State Government Reacts with Police Suspensions

In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and several senior officers for security lapses. Senior IPS officer Seemanth Kumar Singh was appointed as the new city police chief. Other suspended officials include Cubbon Park SHO, ACP, DCP Central, and the Additional Commissioner of Police.

Former Top Cop Slams Government Action

Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, now a BJP leader, criticized the suspensions. He called it a political deflection from the state’s administrative failure. In a strongly worded post on X, he referred to the day as the “darkest in Karnataka Police history.” He alleged the government scapegoated the police instead of addressing core planning issues.

Chinnaswamy Event Held Without Official Clearance

According to the FIR, RCB and KSCA went ahead with publicity and crowd mobilisation despite lacking proper permissions. The police were allegedly notified a day before the event but failed to respond or prepare adequately. No public advisory was issued, and crowd control measures were absent.

Political Blame Game Intensifies

The tragedy has sparked a political firestorm. The opposition BJP has demanded the resignation of both the CM. They also want the Deputy CM D K Shivakumar to resign. Meanwhile, the Congress blames the BJP for politicising the tragedy. Families of the victims are still seeking accountability. This incident is now considered one of the city’s worst crowd disasters in recent memory.

Inquiry Commission Announced

The Karnataka government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. It pledges to hold all responsible parties accountable. The government also aims to prevent such tragedies in the future.

For all latest updates Follow theviralmail on X, Facebook, and Instagram