Follow UsIn the aftermath of the tragic stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s victory celebrations, KSCA Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer ES Jairam have stepped down from their posts, citing moral responsibility.
“This is to inform that 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 the Secretary and Treasurer of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, by way of a letter dated 06.06.2025 to the President of Karnataka State Cricket Association,” the statement read.
The tragic events of June 5, which left 11 fans dead and several injured, have triggered legal scrutiny at the highest levels. The Karnataka High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident on Thursday, following a briefing from Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty. Justice S R Krishna Kumar, presiding over the single-judge bench, directed the state to file a status report by June 10. He also granted interim protection from arrest to senior KSCA officials, provided they fully cooperate with the investigation.
The Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru Police arrested four individuals associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the event management company DNA Entertainment Private Limited.
Among those arrested was RCB’s Marketing Head, Nikhil Sosale, who oversees the team’s social media communications. He was detained at around 6:30 AM at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, while en route to Mumbai. The police also took into custody Sunil Mathew, Vice President of DNA Entertainment, along with two other officials, Kiran and Sumanth. All four have been remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
Sosale’s legal team has challenged the arrest, labelling it “politically motivated” and alleging it was directed by the Chief Minister “without a proper investigation.” The court, however, denied interim relief and said it would hear the state’s arguments before making a final call.
In its petition to the High Court, KSCA maintained that its involvement was limited. It stated that the association only rented the stadium and helped with obtaining government permissions. KSCA contended that crowd management, ticketing, and event logistics fell squarely under the responsibility of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the local law enforcement authorities.