In the wake of the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives, the Karnataka High Court stepped in on Friday to grant a temporary shield from arrest to the top brass of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), even as public outrage and political pressure mount.
Justice SR Krishna Kumar extended interim protection to KSCA President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A Shankar, and Treasurer ES Jairam, all of whom are facing a criminal case over the deadly incident on June 4. The court, however, made it clear—they are to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
The judge’s order cautioned that no coercive action should be taken against the officials until the matter is heard again on June 16, but stopped short of offering them a clean slate. The State’s Advocate General, meanwhile, pushed back, warning against any judicial interference with the investigative process.
Tensions in court were palpable. The State highlighted the arrest of the RCB team’s marketing head—caught allegedly fleeing to Dubai—as justification for continuing a no-holds-barred probe. KSCA’s lawyers retorted that even the Chief Minister had publicly forecast arrests, suggesting a politically charged atmosphere driving hasty police action.
The case stems from a chaotic celebration organized by Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) after RCB’s long-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) win. The promise of free public entry to a victory parade at the stadium triggered a rush of thousands to the gates. In the crush that followed, 11 people lost their lives and 56 were injured.
KSCA, in its plea, described the FIR against its officials as a kneejerk move—more about optics than accountability. The association argued it had offered independent compensation to victims and had no direct role in crowd management. Its office-bearers, the petition stressed, were respected professionals, including senior advocates and chartered accountants, now facing vilification.
The plea pulled no punches, accusing the police of acting under pressure from the Chief Minister’s public pronouncements and ignoring legal procedure in the rush to assign blame.
In a related development, the High Court on Thursday also initiated its own suo motu proceedings into the tragedy, demanding a status update from the State by June 10. The government has set up a one-member commission, led by retired Justice John Michael Cunha, to investigate the causes and failures behind the stampede.
Meanwhile, RCB’s marketing and revenue head Nikhil Sosale has filed a separate petition seeking relief against his arrest.
The fallout from RCB’s long-overdue victory celebration has taken a grim turn, and the High Court is now at the center of the storm—tasked with balancing accountability, public grief, and procedural justice in a high-stakes, high-emotion case.
