Today, On 6th June, the Karnataka State Cricket Association approached the High Court, challenging the FIR filed against it under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with the stampede during RCB’s victory celebration, and urgently sought its quashing through a writ petition.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) petitioned the High Court for an urgent hearing regarding the First Information Report (FIR) filed against it in connection with the recent stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebrations earlier this week.
In their writ petition, KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, secretary A. Shankar, and treasurer E.S. Jairam sought to quash the FIR, which was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Also Read: CID to Probe Bengaluru Stadium Stampede That Killed 11: Karnataka Govt Tells High Court
The High Court is set to hear the case at 2:30 PM.
This development comes as police attempt to locate and arrest Shankar and Jairam, who have been missing since the FIR was filed.
Earlier in the day, police reported that four individuals, including an RCB official, had been arrested, but the two KSCA officials were untraceable at their residences.
Sources indicate that Shankar is a close associate of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
The stampede, which occurred when a large crowd gathered for RCB’s first-ever victory celebrations on Wednesday, resulted in the deaths of eleven people and injuries to more than 50 others.
According to police reports, Nikhil Sosale, the head of marketing for RCB, was among those arrested on Friday. He was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru around 6:30 AM while en route to Mumbai. Sosale oversees all promotional activities for RCB and acts as a primary liaison between the players and the franchise, in addition to managing the team’s social media accounts.
The other arrested individuals are members of the event management company DNA Entertainment Private Limited: Sunil Mathew (Vice President, responsible for IPL events), Kiran, and Sumanth.
Police stated that the arrests were made during an overnight operation led by the Central Crime Branch under Deputy Commissioner of Police Akshay. The suspects are expected to be transferred to the Crime Investigation Department today.
Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended Bengaluru police commissioner B. Dayananda and several other senior police officials in response to the incident.
This action came amid strong criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which has called for the resignations of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Earlier, Mr. Shivakumar expressed his emotions regarding the tragedy, stating that Bengaluru has lost its image due to the incident.