Subhechcha Ganguly 
A formal complaint has been lodged against Team India cricketer and RCB star Virat Kohli in connection with the tragic stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured. Filed by social activist HM Venkatesh at the Cubbon Park Police Station, the complaint alleges that Kohli promoted “gambling through IPL,” which, according to the complainant, incited the massive crowd and contributed to the chaos.
The activist claimed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is “not a sport, but gambling that has corrupted cricket,” and accused Kohli of being one of the most visible figures in this alleged promotion. “Virat Kohli of the RCB team incited people to gather and thus should be named an accused in the FIR,” Venkatesh stated.
Police, however, clarified to ANI that no FIR has been registered against Kohli yet. Authorities said the complaint will be examined as part of the ongoing probe into the incident.
Arrests and Legal Developments
So far, four people have been arrested in connection with the stampede, including senior RCB official Nikhil Sosale and three event managers. The arrests were made by Cubbon Park Police and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) during a joint operation at Kempegowda International Airport on June 6. All four have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court has granted interim relief to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials, directing police not to take coercive action against them until the next hearing on June 9. KSCA President Raghu Ram Bhat, Secretary A Shankar, and Treasurer ES Jairam had petitioned the court to quash the FIR lodged against them.
Nikhil Sosale has also approached the High Court, challenging his arrest as illegal and conducted without proper investigation.
FIR Against RCB and Others
Earlier, Bengaluru Police registered an FIR against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., and KSCA officials under charges including culpable homicide and unlawful assembly. This came after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed police to take strict action, citing “gross negligence” on the part of the organisers.
In the wake of the tragedy, multiple senior police officers, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, were suspended for their failure to control the crowd.
