RCB official among 4 to get HC relief in stampede case

Karnataka High Court on Thursday ordered interim release of RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale and three others arrested in connection with the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people.

Others who got relief from the High Court are Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S and Shamant N P Mavinakere of the event organising company DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, who were also arrested on June 6. The court asked the arrested persons to surrender their passport.

The stampede that occurred outside the Chinnaswamy stadium claimed the lives of 11 people during an event organised to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title win.

The case came up for hearing before Justice S R Krishna Kumar, who had reserved the verdict on interim plea by Sosale after hearing arguments on June 11. Sosale and other petitioners are presently in judicial custody.

On June 9, the CID produced Sosale and other three arrested individuals before a local magistrate court, seeking nine-day custody. But the magistrate court had deferred the matter awaiting HC decision. The judge also took up the pleas of Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, which manages RCB and DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, seeking to quash FIR against their officials.