No arrests for now: HC protects Karnataka cricket body in stampede case

Karnataka HC halts arrests in M Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case, grants relief to Karnataka cricket body while directing full cooperation in probe into tragic event that killed 11

In a relief for the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the state government to refrain from taking any coercive action against the cricket body in connection with the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, reported India Today.

 

The court’s directive protects the KSCA officials from arrest, following their inclusion in an FIR registered in the aftermath of the stampede, which occurred during a felicitation ceremony for IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 4. The incident claimed 11 lives and left 56 others injured as an overwhelming crowd gathered at the stadium.

 

 

Justice SR Krishna Kumar, presiding over the matter, made it clear that while no immediate action should be taken against KSCA officials, they must fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

 

“No precipitative be taken against management of Karnataka State Cricket Association till the next date of hearing, subject to condition that they shall cooperate with the investigation,” said Justice Kumar. 

The court also instructed the petitioners not to leave the jurisdiction without prior approval.

 

The FIR, filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), names KSCA, RCB, and event management firm DNA Entertainment Private Limited as the primary organisers of the event. All three have been booked for alleged “criminal negligence” leading to the deadly crowd surge.

 

 

During the hearing, Advocate General Shashi Kiran, representing the state, stated that the police investigation will continue unhindered and assured the court that no arrests will be made for the time being.

 

However, the petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that one of the accused, the marketing head of RCB, had already been taken into custody. The AG confirmed the arrest, saying, “One accused was arrested at an airport. He was trying to escape. He was going to Dubai.”

 

In an earlier statement, KSCA had distanced itself from the logistical lapses at the event, placing the blame on the state government, RCB, and DNA Entertainment for the mismanagement that allegedly led to the tragedy.