Stampede case: Bengaluru Police intensify hunt for four more accused
Bengaluru: The police on Friday intensified their hunt for four more accused persons in connection with the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives.
Earlier, four people, including the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head and DNA Event Management Company staffers, were arrested at the airport.
The personnel from the Cubbon Park police, who registered the case, and a special wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) are conducting a joint operation.
According to sources, the hunt is on for Rajesh Menon, Head and Vice President of RCB; K.T. Majeed, Director and Chief Financial Officer of DNA Event Management Firm; Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary A. Shankar; and Treasurer Jayaram.
Sources revealed that Rajesh has escaped from the Indiranagar locality of Bengaluru. Police have gathered information that Shankar and Jayaram absconded in the same vehicle before police conducted raids at their residences in Bengaluru.
Police have also gathered information that both KSCA office-bearers are trying to approach the High Court to obtain bail in the case and prevent their arrests.
Meanwhile, DCP Akshay M. is interrogating the arrested individuals: Nikhil Sosale, Head of Marketing for RCB, along with Sunil Matthew, Kiran, and Sumanth from DNA Event Management. Police are preparing to record their statements.
Sources further confirmed that the case would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by the end of the day once the team is ready.
The arrested individuals were on their way to Mumbai. All four accused have been brought to the Cubbon Park Police Station, where they were being interrogated.
Even after the permission for the victory parade was not given, Sosle posted a message on social media about the victory parade and later deleted it, the police said.
He also announced that free tickets are available at the stadium for the victory celebration event.
He allegedly further announced that the tickets would be available at Gate numbers 9 and 10 at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, and did not make arrangements to distribute the tickets.
The post was also made on the Royal Challengers’ official handle that the entry will be given at 3 p.m. This post led to the gathering of lakhs of people, police said.
The DNA Company has acted as per the directions of Sosle. Among the total 21 gates, only three gates were opened, creating chaos.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced the suspension of five senior police officers, including the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and DCP (Central Division), in connection with the stampede incident on June 4. He also stated that he has given instructions to arrest the organisers of the victory celebrations.
“Such an incident has not occurred since I became an MLA, minister, Dy CM, and Chief Minister. This incident has deeply saddened us,” he stated.
The Karnataka Police in the FIR claimed that the accused parties — RCB franchise, DNA event management firm, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Administrative Committee — organised the victory celebration without the necessary permissions.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means), 118(2) read with Section 3(5) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt, when the act is done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 190 (unlawful assembly), 132 (criminal force to deter a public servant), 125(a) (filing false affidavit), and 125(b) (rash and negligent acts that endanger human life) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.