The Karnataka High Court has granted interim bail to RCB Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale, along with three others, in connection with the June 4 stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which left 11 people dead and over 50 injured.

The three others granted bail include Sunil Mathew, Director at DNA, Kiran Kumar, Event Manager at DNA, and Shamant NP Mavinakere, a freelancer associated with DNA. The interim bail was granted on the condition that they submit their passports to the court within two weeks of their release, refrain from tampering with evidence, and execute a personal bond of ₹1 lakh with two sureties.

Justice SR Krishna Kumar, who passed the order today, noted that there was no evidence to establish the personal involvement of the four individuals in the stampede. He further stated that the police did not have the jurisdiction to arrest them and observed that the petitioners’ arguments were valid, as they were not served with any mandatory documents, such as the grounds of arrest, at the time they were taken into custody.

Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, representing Nikhil Sosale, had earlier questioned the legality and motivation behind his client’s arrest. He pointed out several procedural lapses, including the fact that Sosale was arrested at 4:30 a.m. on June 6 without being shown any official identification or being informed of the reasons for his arrest. Official documents were only handed over at 8:20 a.m., he noted. Chouta also raised concerns about whether the arresting officers, from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) and not the local police, had the authority to make the arrest. “The arrest was made by the CCB, not the regular police,” he said.

The court has also ordered that the four individuals must not leave the country without prior permission.

(Report filed by BL intern Nethra Sailesh)

Published on June 12, 2025