RCB marketing head, 3 DNA executives held in Bengaluru stampede case; court sends them to 14-day judicial custody

BENGALURU: Two days after 11 RCB fans died in a stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, Bengaluru police arrested RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale and three executives of DNA Entertainment Networks in a late-night operation.

A local court remanded the four in a 14-day judicial custody (JC).The arrests followed CM Siddaramaiah's directive to police on Thursday night to identify and arrest RCB and KSCA officials responsible for the tragedy. He issued the directive after announcing the suspension of Bengaluru City police commissioner B Dayananda and four other police officers. Sosale, often seen with cricket players during matches, was intercepted at KIA by cops.

His wife Malvika Nayak was also with him. Later, advocate general Shashikiran Shetty told HC that Sosale was apprehended while "attempting to leave the country".The other three arrested are DNA's executives: director and vice-president Sunil Mathew, 49; ticketing official Shamanth SP, 38; and manager Kiran Kumar, 40.Police reportedly searched the residence of DNA Networks founder and managing director T Venkat Vardhan in Sadashivanagar.

Efforts on to find other suspects: Officer They are looking for Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary Shankar A, a close aide of deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, and other office-bearers.A senior officer told TOI that efforts were on to track down the whereabouts of other suspects. The case was officially transferred to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Friday evening, said police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, who took charge Thursday midnight.

In all, three cases have been filed against RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment and KSCA administrative committee.Cubbon Park police registered a suo-motu case against the accused - RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment and KSCA administrative committee.A second FIR was registered based on the complaint of one of the injured persons, Rolon Gomes, 25, from Mylasandra, west Bengaluru. A third FIR was registered based on a complaint by C Venu, 21, a resident of ITI Layout in Vijinapura. Venu, a student, is one of the injured.

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