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The incident claimed 11 lives and left over 50 people injured during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations.
A stampede typically involves people pushing, shoving, and even climbing over one another. (Representative Image/PTI)
Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers, has moved the Karnataka High Court challenging his arrest in connection with the stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. The incident claimed 11 lives and left over 50 people injured during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations.
Nikhil Sosale approached the high court stating that his arrest in the wee hours of Friday was based on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s oral instructions and was arbitrary and illegal.
Sosale has petitioned the Karnataka High Court to contest his arrest, alleging that an FIR was filed against him following a “late-night” cabinet meeting and after the court initiated suo-motu proceedings.
His counsel submitted that police inspector AK Girisha (investigating officer), who filed the FIR, was himself suspended. “Arrest is the domain of the IO, and it cannot be done on instructions from a superior,” counsel said.
In his petition, Sosale alleged that his arrest was an attempt to shift blame for the incident onto RCB and its staff. He pointed out that senior police officers were suspended for dereliction of duty, while he, a private citizen, was hastily arrested without a thorough investigation to determine individual responsibilities.
He claimed his arrest violated his constitutional rights, specifically Article 19, as it occurred at night. He also argued that the “hasty action reflected a predetermined agenda based on the chief minister’s directive, without a proper investigation of his specific involvement, disregarding natural justice principles”.
Justice SR Krishna Kumar adjourned the hearing to June 9 after a brief session, stating that interim relief will be considered once the state government/police files a statement of objections.
- Location :
Karnataka, India, India
- First Published: