Bengaluru stampede: What police said about complaint against Virat Kohli

sanjeev

khelja|07-06-2025

A complaint has been filed against cricketer Virat Kohli, a member of the RCB squad, at Bengaluru's Cubbon Park Police Station over the June 4 stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium, which left 11 dead and dozens injured.

Police sources, however, said no FIR has been registered so far.

The complainant, social activist HM Venkatesh, alleged Kohli was promoting "gambling through IPL," claiming it incited the large crowd that triggered the tragedy.

What police said about Virat Kohli

Police, quoted by news agency ANI, said the complaint against Kohli would be considered under the existing case and reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.

In his complaint, social activist HM Venkatesh claimed the Indian Premier League (IPL) is "not a sport but a gambling that has contaminated the game of cricket."

"Virat Kohli of the Bangalore RCB team is the most prominent among those who participated in such gambling and incited people to gather in a specific place and caused this tragedy. Therefore, we request you to please make Virat Kohli and his team members accused in the FIR of this tragedy and take action," Venkatesh said in his complaint.

How many have been arrested so far in the case?

A Bengaluru Sessions Court on Friday remanded four people, including senior Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) official Nikhil Sosale and three event managers, to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede incident.

The four were arrested during a joint operation by the Cubbon Park police and Central Crime Branch (CCB) at Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of June 6.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka high court granted interim relief to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) office bearers who had sought to quash the FIR filed against them over the stampede.

In its interim order, the high court directed state police not to take any coercive action against them until further notice. The case has been adjourned to June 9.

KSCA President Raghu Ram Bhat, Secretary A Shankar, Treasurer ES Jairam, and other officials had moved the high court seeking to have the FIR quashed.

Nikhil Sosale approaches high court

Nikhil Sosale also moved the Karnataka high court, challenging his arrest and claiming it was made without proper evidence or a preliminary enquiry.

He has sought to have the arrest declared illegal.

On Thursday, Bengaluru police registered an FIR against the RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on charges of culpable homicide, illegal assembly, and other serious offences, following the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB's IPL victory celebrations.

RCB and event management officials were arrested in a joint operation by the crime branch and Bengaluru Police, and produced in court under tight security after a medical checkup.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had directed the state's DGP and IGP to arrest RCB representatives, event managers, and KSCA officials, citing prima facie "irresponsibility" and "carelessness" on their part.

In the aftermath of the stampede, the Karnataka police suspended several senior officers, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash, DCP (Central) Shekhar HT, ACP Balakrishna, and Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish AK.