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The celebration of Royal Challengers Bangaluru's (RCB) first title win in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) has now become a cause of crisis. 11 people died and about 50 people were injured in a Bengaluru stampede during the celebration held outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
In connection with this tragic incident, Bangaluru Police has arrested four people including a senior RCB official, while some top officials of Karnataka Cricket Association (KSCA) are still absconding.
Police arrested RCB employee
Among those arrested by the police, the prominent name is that of Nikhil Sosale, who is the marketing head of RCB. Nikhil is considered close to Virat Kohli and was seen actively in every match of the team.
He led the team's branding and marketing strategy and has been associated with the franchise for many years. This year, a picture of a woman sitting next to Anushka Sharma in the stadium during every RCB match went viral on social media. Later it was revealed that this woman was none other than Nikhil Sosale's wife Malvika Nayak.
Arrest comes after Senior IPS officer took charge
The police, on Thursday, had booked RCB, event management company DNA and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) administration over the Bengaluru stampede with CM Siddaramaiah asking the police to arrest the representatives. The KSCA officials have been absconding since Thursday night, the police said.
The arrest comes moments after Senior IPS officer Seemant Kumar Singh took charge as the new Commissioner of Bengaluru City Police, replacing B Dayananda, who was among senior officers suspended over the stampede.
After taking charge, Singh had vowed to uphold the work of his predecessors and act swiftly on the stampede. “I will immediately meet with my officers and take necessary steps regarding the incident,” he said.
Bengaluru Stampede case: What happened actually?
What was meant to be a day of celebration for cricket fans in Karnataka turned chaotic on Wednesday, as a hastily cancelled victory parade for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team gave way to confusion, swelling crowds, and a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The morning began with an announcement from team management: a victory parade would be held on an open bus, traveling the short distance from the iconic Vidhana Soudha to the stadium. Free passes for a post-parade celebration at the stadium were to be made available online. But by 11:56 am, the Bengaluru Traffic Police said that the parade was off.
However, by the time the RCB team arrived at HAL airport around 1:30 pm and travelled to their hotel before heading to Vidhana Soudha, thousands had already assembled along the intended parade route. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was slated to felicitate the players at a brief public ceremony.
Some spectators perched on treetops and building ledges, including the roof of the nearby Karnataka High Court. Meanwhile, large crowds also began to cluster outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Namma Metro announced that it would bypass Cubbon Park and Dr B.R. Ambedkar metro stations due to overcrowding.
By 3 pm, police estimated that over 50,000 people were gathered within a one-kilometre radius of the stadium. Tragedy struck around 4 pm, when Gate 3 of the stadium partially opened. The mix of ticket-holders and those without passes surged toward the entrance, triggering the stampede.