Karnataka HC grants interim bail to 4 accused in Bengaluru stampede case

The Karnataka High Court has granted interim bail to all four individuals accused in the tragic Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case. This includes Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and three executives from DNA Entertainment Networks: director and vice-president Sunil Mathew, manager Kiran Kumar, and ticketing official Shamant Mavinakere. The court, however, stipulated that all accused must surrender their passports as a condition for their interim release. Justice SR Krishnakumar, who presided over the hearings, concluded proceedings on Wednesday and pronounced the judgment today.

The four individuals had moved petitions challenging the legality of their arrests in connection with the deadly stampede on June 4, which tragically claimed 11 lives and left several others injured. During the court hearings, the state, represented by Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, argued against granting interim relief. Shetty laid out a series of allegations, including that RCB "invited the whole world" through social media posts without clarifying ticketing or entry protocols, leading to lakhs gathering at a stadium designed for only 35,000.

The state government also placed blame on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), contending that an agreement between RCB and BCCI clearly outlined RCB's sole responsibility for security, gate, and ticket management at the event. Meanwhile, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) had sought nine days of custodial interrogation for the accused, but the local magistrate court deferred its decision pending the High Court's verdict on the bail petitions.