What should have been a night of joy and celebration turned into tragedy in Bengaluru as 11 people, including a child, lost their lives in a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory event. The incident, triggered by poor crowd management and a gargantuan turnout, has led to widespread outrage, arrests, and a full-blown judicial investigation.
Arrests and FIRs shake RCB and organisers
Following the horrific incident, Karnataka Police arrested four individuals in connection with the tragedy. Among them was Nikhil Sosale, RCB’s Head of Marketing and Revenue at Diageo India, who was taken into custody at Bengaluru airport while attempting to fly to Mumbai. Sosale was a key figure in organising the event and is now under investigation for lapses in planning.
According to reports, three employees from DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd—the agency tasked with managing the event—were also detained. Senior Event Manager Kiran Kumar, VP Business Affairs Sunil Mathew, and another staffer named Sumanth are all facing serious charges. An FIR has been filed against RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), with charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Notably, KSCA’s secretary and treasurer were reported to have absconded when police attempted to contact them. A judicial probe headed by retired High Court judge Justice Michael D’Cunha has been initiated, alongside a CID investigation.
Gautam Gambhir lambasts roadshows
The incident also drew a strong response from Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir. Speaking at India’s pre-departure press conference, Gambhir said, “Lives are more important than road shows. I’ve never supported them—not in 2007 and not now.” He urged franchises to consider closed-door ceremonies in future to avoid such disasters. The state and RCB have announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the victims’ families.
