Stampede shake-up: City gets new police boss
OB Bureau
Hours after being appointed the new Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, senior IPS officer Seemant Kumar Singh assumed charge on Friday morning, stepping into the role at a time of public outrage over the deadly stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. The incident, which occurred outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured.
Singh, a 1996-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre, replaces B Dayananda, who was among five senior officers suspended late Thursday in a sweeping shake-up of the city’s police leadership. The move, prompted by alleged lapses in crowd control and event management, marks an unprecedented action in Karnataka’s policing history.
The newly appointed commissioner previously served as Additional Director General of Police (Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force) and is known for his experience handling high-stakes urban policing.
Five top cops suspended
The suspensions have sent shockwaves through the state’s police force. Alongside Commissioner Dayananda, the state government suspended Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Vikash Kumar Vikash, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekhar H Tekkannavar, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cubbon Park Sub-division) Balakrishna C, and Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish A K.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while addressing the media, said the officers were removed for “serious lapses in duty” and failure to ensure adequate crowd management during the public celebration. “This tragedy could have been prevented,” he said. Two FIRs have been registered, and a criminal investigation is underway.
Arrests follow leadership change
In his first major action as commissioner, Seemant Kumar Singh oversaw the arrest of four individuals linked to the event, including a senior RCB executive and three staff members of DNA Entertainment Networks, the firm that managed the celebration.
Among those arrested is Nikhil Sosale, Head of Business Partnerships at RCB and Sports Marketing lead at Diageo India. Sosale was detained at Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday night while attempting to fly to Mumbai.
As Singh takes the reins, the focus now shifts to restoring public trust and ensuring that those responsible for the lapses are brought to justice. The city’s police force, under new leadership, faces the challenge of navigating a crisis that has exposed deep flaws in the handling of large-scale public events.
RCB stampede: Govt owns up
OB Bureau
A day after the stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations at M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives, the Karnataka government acknowledged failures in planning and accepted full responsibility for the tragedy. The incident, which also left over 75 people injured, has sparked public outrage and intense political scrutiny.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar described the incident as a deeply painful moment for the state and said it should serve as a lesson for future administrative planning. He stated that the government had not anticipated such an overwhelming turnout at the event and admitted that, while it was organised with good intentions, the crowd far exceeded expectations.
Shivakumar expressed sorrow over the loss of young lives, calling the victims “our own family”. He added that the government would not shift blame and was prepared to take accountability. Referring to the emotional intensity of the celebrations after RCB’s first-ever IPL title win, he said the mood among the youth had been unusually charged.
Sharing details of his visit to the stadium, Shivakumar said there were several issues related to crowd flow and gate management. He also recounted an emotional moment when a grieving mother asked authorities not to conduct a post-mortem on her deceased son. Shivakumar explained that while he sympathised with her plea, the legal process had to be followed to determine the exact cause of death and to rule out any possibility of foul play.
IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge also acknowledged that there had been planning failures and stressed that better coordination could have prevented the tragedy. He said that while no single party was being blamed, all stakeholders — including the government, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and even the public — had a role to play. Kharge maintained that the government had no intention of defending any administrative shortcomings and had already launched a magisterial inquiry to examine what went wrong.
He added that everyone involved would be questioned, and the findings of the inquiry would help implement corrective measures for future events. Kharge reiterated that the state was committed to transparency and accountability. Facing mounting criticism from the opposition, especially the BJP, Shivakumar said the government was answerable to the people of Karnataka and the nation.
RCB’s Nikhil Sosale is arrested — who is he?
OB Bureau
The city police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), along with three executives from DNA Entertainment Networks in connection with the deadly stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium. The arrests were made during a late-night operation as investigations intensify into the lapses that led to the tragedy during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations.
The stampede, which occurred during a celebratory event at the stadium earlier this week, claimed 11 lives and left at least 75 others injured.
Sosale, a prominent face of RCB’s off-field presence and often seen on television alongside players, was detained at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) while attempting to board a flight to Mumbai. He was reportedly intercepted by police on the basis of lookout alerts issued earlier in the day.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Sosale has been associated with RCB since 2012 and currently holds the position of Head of Marketing and Revenue at Diageo India, RCB’s principal sponsor. With over 15 years of experience in the sports and beverage sectors, his rise through the ranks has included stints in commercial operations, partnerships, and brand management.
The arrests come as part of a broader investigation into the safety arrangements and crowd control measures — or lack thereof — during the mass gathering at the stadium, which drew tens of thousands of fans. Authorities are now scrutinising the roles played by event organisers, sponsors, and franchise officials in the lead-up to the tragedy.
Police officials confirmed that further questioning of the arrested individuals is underway, and more detentions have not been ruled out. The investigation is focused on determining accountability for lapses in crowd management and compliance with safety protocols.
A senior officer involved in the probe said the arrests are part of efforts to understand “who knew what and when” regarding the arrangements made for the public event.
The city continues to mourn the lives lost even as pressure mounts on organisers and stakeholders to take responsibility. The incident has also prompted calls for stricter regulation of large-scale public gatherings in the future.