Two senior officials from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Secretary A. Shankar and Treasurer E.S. Jairam, have resigned citing “moral responsibility” for the tragic events at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebration. Their resignation letters were delivered to KSCA President Raghuram Bhat.
The celebration, marking RCB’s first IPL title in 18 attempts, turned tragic when a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium led to the loss of 11 lives and injuries to several others.
In their message to the KSCA, Shankar and Jairam stated: “Due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have unfolded in the last two days, and though our role was very limited, but owing moral responsibility, we wish to state that last night we have tendered our resignation to our respective posts as secretary and treasurer of the KSCA.”
The Bengaluru Police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the RCB franchise. The police report, reviewed by ESPNcricinfo, indicates that RCB had not been granted permission to hold the event at the stadium. RCB, along with its event partners DNA Entertainment and the KSCA, have been named as accused parties.
Furthermore, Nikhil Sosale, RCB’s marketing and revenue head, has been arrested. This action was ordered by newly-appointed Police Commissioner S.K. Singh, who succeeded his predecessor following the incident.
Reacting to these developments, the KSCA has filed a writ petition, arguing that the FIR against them was a rushed decision by the police, prompted by governmental pressure. They maintain that crowd management wasn’t under their purview but was the responsibility of RCB, the event organisers, and the police.
Concerns over Sosale’s arrest were also expressed by the KSCA’s legal team, suggesting it might reflect a targeted stance. As reported by Bar and Bench, Sosale has contested his detention at the Karnataka High Court.
As of now, RCB has not released an official comment regarding the arrest. However, they did announce on Thursday a compensation offer of INR 10 lakh for the families of those who died and a commitment to cover medical costs for the injured.
