Can CM Order Arrests? K'taka HC on RCB's Plea

The Court Posed the Question on the Jurisdiction, Procedure, and Political Influence Behind the Arrest of an RCB Employee

- Ayesha Arvind

BENGALURU: Does a chief minister have the legal authority to direct an arrest in a criminal case? This is a key question that the Karnataka High Court sought to find out the answer to as it took up a plea on Monday filed by Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), challenging his arrest in connection with the June 4 fatal stampede near Chinnaswamy stadium.

Justice SR Krishna Kumar posed the question around jurisdiction, procedure, and political influence behind the arrest after senior advocate Sandesh Chouta, appearing for the petitioner, contended that Sosale's arrest on June 6 was "bad in law" and had been made solely on the orders of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.

"Does the CM have any such power? Can the chief minister direct arrest? Could he have only said that the FIRs had been registered and he had directed the authorities to take the probe to its logical conclusion in accordance with law?" the judge asked Chouta as well as the counsel for the state.