BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) marketing head Nikhil Sosale and three executives of DNA Entertainment Networks have been arrested by the Bengaluru police in a late night operation in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, which snuffed out 11 lives and left 75 injured during victory celebrations.
Sosale, who is seen on television with cricket players during matches, was flying to Mumbai when he was intercepted at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The other three arrested are DNA Networks (event management firm) director and vice president Sunil Mathew, DNA ticketing official Sumanth and DNA manager Kiran Kumar.
The police also reportedly conducted searches on the residence of DNA Networks founder and managing director T Venkat Vardhan. The police are also on the lookout for Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary Shankar A, who is a close aide of deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar.
The arrested and searches were conducted following a directive from chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday night to arrest RCB and KSCA officials who were responsible for the tragedy. The govt has already suspended Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda and four other police officers for dereliction of duty and negligence, which culminated in the tragedy.
A senior officer told TOI that there are a few more suspects in the case, and efforts are ongoing to trace their whereabouts and take necessary action.
Earlier, the Cubbon Park police registered a suo-motu case against the accused — (Accused No. 1) RCB franchise, (accused No. 2) DNA Entertainment, and (accused No. 3) KSCA administrative committee. FIR was booked under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 118 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).
A second FIR was registered based on the complaint of one of the injured persons identified as Rolongumes, 25, a resident of Mylasandra, near Kengeri in West Bengaluru, under the BNS section 125 A (act endangering life or personal safety of others). The state govt ordered the criminal investigation department (CID) to investigate the cases related to the stampede. They are yet to take over the investigation officially.
The stampede happened at gates No. 2, 2A, 6, 7, 15, 17, 18, 20, and 21, causing the deaths of 11 persons and leaving 64 injured. Initially, the police registered 11 separate unnatural death cases.