The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on a petition filed by Nikhil Sosale, the head of marketing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who is seeking interim relief over his arrest in connection with the tragic stampede at the RCB celebration event in Bengaluru last month.
The court will pronounce its decision on June 12 at 2:30 PM.
Petitioner Challenges Legality of Arrest
Sosale moved the High Court claiming that his arrest was unlawful and sought relief under Article 226 of the Constitution. His counsel, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, argued that Sosale, an invitee and employee, was being wrongly targeted while political figures, including the Deputy Chief Minister, who also attended the event, were not being questioned.
State Defends Arrest, Points to Organiser’s Responsibility
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the Karnataka government, opposed the plea and argued that the petition was not maintainable.
“Relief under Article 226 is impermissible unless the court declares the arrest illegal,” Shetty told the bench. He added, “Even if the arrest were to be considered illegal, only a writ of habeas corpus would be maintainable—not a petition under Section 482 CrPC.”
Refuting any link between Chief Minister’s statements and Sosale’s arrest, the AG claimed, “The petitioner was fleeing. He has admitted that he was managing the event’s affairs. The organisers are responsible for the stampede that claimed 11 lives.”
HC Probes Individual Responsibility Over Corporate Entity
During the hearing, the High Court grilled the state on the issue of accountability. “Who was supposed to obtain the license? These are employees, not the company,” the bench remarked, emphasizing that the court would treat the accused as individuals, not as representatives of the corporate entity.
Responding, the AG said, “The company acts through its directors. On its behalf, the petitioners were responsible for securing permissions. It’s their burden to prove they are not liable.”
RCB’s Invitation Under Scrutiny
Advocate Chouta pointed out inconsistencies in the state’s approach, stating, “The person invited to the celebration is now under arrest, while even the Deputy CM was on the guest list.” The AG disputed this, asserting, “Only RCB extended the invitations, not the state.”
Following the deadly stampede, which left 11 people dead, the Karnataka government took disciplinary action, suspending several police officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda.
As Sosale remains in judicial custody, the court’s forthcoming decision will determine whether he gets interim relief in the wake of mounting questions over event management, police oversight, and political accountability.
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