Bengaluru: In a dramatic legal turn, Nikhil Sosale, the Marketing Head of Royal Challengers Sports Ltd, has moved the Karnataka High Court claiming his arrest in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede was politically driven, unlawful, and a violation of his constitutional rights.
Sosale was taken into custody early Friday following the RCB IPL victory celebration stampede that left 11 dead and 75 injured. His petition argues that the arrest was executed on oral instructions from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, following a late-night cabinet meeting and suo motu action by the High Court.
His legal counsel highlighted that AK Girisha, the police inspector who filed the FIR, was suspended, questioning the legality of an arrest made under a compromised process. “The arrest must come from a valid investigating officer, not under political pressure,” counsel stated.
Sosale further alleged that the arrest was a scapegoating tactic, aiming to shift blame onto RCB’s management rather than examining systemic failures. He contended this hasty move bypassed the due process of law and violated Article 19, which guarantees personal liberty and freedom.
In defense, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty told the court that Sosale was apprehended while allegedly trying to flee the country.
Justice SR Krishna Kumar has adjourned the matter to June 9, stating that interim relief would be considered after the state files its response.
Read Also: