The Bengaluru Police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, a senior official at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), following a tragic stampede during the team’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations. The incident, which took place on Wednesday, resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals and left several others injured.
This action was preceded by the Karnataka state government’s decision to suspend senior police officers and appoint Seemanth Kumar Singh as the new commissioner. On Thursday, an FIR was filed by the Bengaluru Police, which noted that RCB was not granted permission to hold their victory parade at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This location was where the stampede occurred, causing these unfortunate casualties. Alongside RCB, the FIR listed DNA Entertainment, the event partners, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which oversees the stadium.
Officers had been on duty around the stadium until early morning on 4th June, following RCB’s IPL final victory. They cited the challenge of managing another large gathering as the reason for denying the parade’s permission. The FIR stated, “Despite this, KSCA, RCB, and DNA proceeded with the event, ignoring police instructions.”
RCB’s official social media channels announced the celebration and parade on 4th June, inviting fans without inspecting necessary official permissions, adding, “Once this news spread on TV channels and social media, we (Police) informed our senior officers and requested security and necessary arrangements.”
The confusion was exacerbated by RCB posting about free entry passes without clear distribution plans, leaving many fans outside the venue with inadequate information.
As of now, RCB has not made any official statements regarding the arrest. However, the state government and RCB, owned by liquor company Diageo, have promised compensation of INR 10 lakh to the bereaved families and committed to covering the medical expenses of those injured. ESPNcricinfo has sought comments from charged parties but has yet to receive a response.
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, remarked on the incident, saying, “We should never have roadshows,” underlining the need for better safety protocols during public celebrations.
