CM ordered Sosale's arrest : Karnataka HC

The Karnataka High Court on Monday questioned the state's conduct in the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede probe, following allegations that the arrest of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale was carried out under the direct instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, bypassing legal procedures and jurisdiction.

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Hearing a clutch of petitions filed by RCB and event partner DNA Entertainment Networks seeking quashing of criminal cases related to the June 4 stampede, which claimed 11 lives and left 56 injured, Justice SR Krishna Kumar observed that it would be premature to conclude that RCB’s social media posts were the sole or primary cause of the tragedy.

Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, appearing for Sosale, alleged that his client was illegally arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) despite the case having been transferred to the Crime Investigation Department (CID). He claimed the arrest at Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of June 6 was politically driven.

“This arrest was not supported by law. There was no preliminary inquiry. The direction came from the Chief Minister,” Chouta told the Court. He further submitted that Sosale was not informed of the reasons for his arrest, nor was he presented with official identification or documentation at the time of arrest.