What is the Karnataka HC's Decision on RCB and DNA Staff's Arrest in the Stampede Case?

Bengaluru, June 11 (NationPress) The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday has reserved its ruling on the petitions filed by four staff members of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and DNA Private Event Management firm, contesting the police's actions related to the June 4 stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, which resulted in 11 fatalities.

The petitions were submitted by Nikhil Sosale, the Marketing Head of RCB, along with Sunil Matthew, Kiran, and Sumanth from DNA, who are currently detained at the Bengaluru Central Prison.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), overseeing the investigation, is pursuing their custody.

A bench led by Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar has reserved judgment and scheduled the next hearing for Thursday at 2:30 PM.

Counsel for the petitioners argued that the arrests were unlawful and executed under the direction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. They contended that these detentions were a governmental ploy to deflect responsibility for the tragic incident.

In response, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the state, contested that claims of arrests being made under the Chief Minister's orders were false, asserting that police adhered to established protocols.

The AG asserted that the petitioners had provided misleading information to the court and that they were given written reasons for their arrests. He urged the court to deny any interim relief or orders for their release.

He also noted that the RCB franchise is a highly lucrative, billion-dollar entity.

In response, the bench remarked that the company's wealth was irrelevant to the case at hand.

The AG further alleged that the accused attempted to flee to another state and had posted on social media to attract attendees to the event, hence contributing to the deaths of 11 individuals.

DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, listed as an accused in the FIR by Karnataka police, has approached the High Court seeking to quash the FIR.

DNA argued that the celebration event at Chinnaswamy Stadium was orchestrated by the government and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which had invited the public to the festivities.

Previously, RCB sought the High Court's intervention to quash the criminal case against them related to the stampede.

According to the petition, RCB engaged in extensive discussions with DNA Event Management and KSCA officials regarding the event's organization.

The petition emphasized that the police had given verbal approval for the victory parade and celebrations on June 4. RCB had communicated that entry to the stadium was solely through registration on their official website and the issuance of passes, aimed at managing the crowd within the stadium's capacity.