HC’s poser to AG on arrests in Bengaluru stampede case

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday asked the Advocate-General whether the Chief Minister had made a statement during a media conference recently that he had “ordered arrest of officials of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and others” in connection with the stampede.

Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar posed this question to Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty durng the hearing of a petition filed by Nikhil Sosale, Head (Marketing and Revenue) of Royal Challengers Sports Private Ltd. (RCSPL) that owns RCB.

However, Mr. Shetty said that he had to verify whether the CM [Siddaramaiah] made such a statement and he was not in a position to give an answer to the court’s query instantly, while seeking some time.

Following this, the court adjourned hearing on the petition till June 10 morning to enable the A-G to inform the court whether the Chief Minister did make such a statement as was claimed in Nikhil’s petition. Meanwhile, Nikhil’s advocate said that they would produce the video recording of the Chief Minister’s statement before the court.

Nikhil has questioned the legality of his arrest in connection with the stampede incident outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 while claiming that he was arrested from the Kempegowda International Airport in the wee hours of June 6 merely on the orders of the Chief Minister and without any investigation as his name was not mentioned in the first information report (FIR) registered in connection with the 11 deaths that occurred in the sampede.

Meanwhile, appearing for Nikhil, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta pointed out that a police officer of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), who had no jurisdiction to investigate the case, had arrested Nikhil and hence the arrest was illegal.

Mr. Chouta also pointed out that the inspector of Cubbon Park police station, who had jurisdiction to probe, was suspended by June 5 evening and hence had no authority to arrest. And the arrest was neither made by the inspector of Ashok Nagar police station, who was given charge of Cubbon Park station, nor any authorised police from the Ashok Nagar or Cubbon Park police stations, it was argued.

It was stated on his behalf that the police inspector, on whose complaint the FIR was registered, himself was suspended by the government on June 5 night and the petitioner was arrested by a police officer who was not having the jurisdiction to arrest him as the probe of the case was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.