Karnataka High Court directs CID not to arrest or take any coercive step against top executives of RCSPL and DNA for now

The High Court of Karnataka has, however, directed top executives of RCSPL and DNA to cooperate with the CID for the probe. | Photo Credit:

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) not to arrest or take any coercive step for now against Rajesh V. Menon, chief operating officer (COO) of Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCSPL), and Venkata Vardhana Thimmaiah, managing director of DNA Entertainment Ltd., in connection with the criminal case registered with regard to the June 4 stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the interim order on the petitions filed by the RCSPL, which owns the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team, and DNA, which is the official event manager for the RCSPL.

However, the court directed the petitioners to cooperate with the CID for the probe.

Meanwhile, the court also directed the police not to proceed further on the two other first information reports (FIRs) registered based on the complaint of injured persons on the same incident of stampede, on which the first FIR was registered. The court passed this order after it was pointed out to it that multiple FIRs in connection with the same incident were not permissible in the law as the police would have to treat multiple complaints on the same incident under one FIR.

Questioning the registration of the FIR against them, both the RCSPL and DNA blamed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the large gathering for the RCB’s victory celebrations by pointing out to the court that the Chief Minister’s social media post — “join the celebrations of this historic victory” — attracted a large number of people in front of the Vidhana Soudha and later this crowd joined the fans gathered around the stadium.

Countering the allegations that their social media posts inviting RCB fans to participate in the victory celebrations sans obtaining permission led to the stampede, the petitioner-companies contended that the very same act of inviting the public to a celebration was committed by the Chief Minister, who in much the same way as the RCSPL, invited fans on social media.

Suo motu PIL

Meanwhile, a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice C.M. Joshi impleaded the RCSPL, DNA Entertainment and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in the PIL petition initiated suo motu by the court on the stampede issue, and ordered issue of notice to them.

The Bench adjourned further hearing on the petition while asking the State Advocate-General to reply why the report and the documents, submitted by the State government in a sealed cover while answering nine questions posed by the Bench on the incident of stampede, should not be made public.

Published - June 17, 2025 08:19 pm IST