RCB Marketing Head Held as Bengaluru Stampede Fallout Deepens

The Bengaluru police have taken Nikhil Sosale, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s head of marketing and revenue, into custody in connection with the tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, June 4. Sosale, who is also a senior official at Diageo India, was detained at the Bengaluru airport just as he was about to board a flight to Mumbai.

This arrest is part of a wider investigation that’s now engulfing not only RCB but also the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and event organizers DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. According to The Hindu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already suspended Bengaluru’s police commissioner B. Dayananda and ordered the arrests of those responsible. 

So far, three individuals from DNA Entertainment have been arrested. Meanwhile, the Cubbon Park Police had earlier filed a suo motu FIR against RCB, KSCA officials, and DNA, booking them under serious charges including culpable homicide and unlawful assembly. The Karnataka High Court has also stepped in, taking suo motu cognisance of the incident. It issued a notice to the state government, demanding a status report that details what precautions were taken to control the crowd and whether there were any existing guidelines in place for handling large gatherings at sports events. 

In the wake of the disaster, the Karnataka government announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives. RCB has said they will match the amount with a separate payout of their own. 

But the situation has become increasingly political. Critics have slammed the state administration for its handling of the event, with the BJP calling for the resignation of both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. Allegations have emerged that Shivakumar remained inside the stadium and posed for photos with the IPL 2025-winning RCB squad even after learning about the stampede outside. The tragedy has sparked outrage and raised troubling questions about safety and accountability at large-scale public events in India.