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Resignations Amidst Tragedy

In Bengaluru, Karnataka, on June 7, senior officials from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), including secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, have resigned from their positions. They cited "moral responsibility" for the tragic stampede that occurred near M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team’s celebration after their recent IPL victory over Punjab Kings.

According to reports from ESPNCricinfo, their resignations were submitted to the board president, Raghuram Bhat.

In response to the incident, officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) visited the KSCA office, following the state government's directive for a CID investigation into the stampede.

The stampede resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals and left many others injured. In a communication to KSCA, both Shankar and Jairam expressed, "In light of the unforeseen and tragic events of the past two days, we have decided to resign from our roles as secretary and treasurer of the KSCA, despite our limited involvement."

Additionally, Bengaluru Police filed a first information report (FIR) against RCB on Thursday, stating that the franchise did not have permission to hold the event at the stadium. RCB, along with its event partners DNA Entertainment and KSCA, has been named as the primary accused in the FIR.

On Friday, police confirmed the arrest of RCB's marketing and revenue head, Nikhil Sosale, following orders from the newly appointed police commissioner SK Singh, who took over after the previous commissioner was dismissed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah due to the incident.

Later that day, KSCA filed a writ petition, claiming that the FIR was a reaction to government pressure and described it as a "knee-jerk" response. They argued that the stampede was caused by an unexpected surge of attendees and that crowd management was the responsibility of the franchise, event organizers, and police.

Concerns were also raised regarding Sosale's arrest, with KSCA suggesting it indicated a targeted approach. Sosale has since approached the Karnataka High Court to contest his arrest, as reported by Bar and Bench, a legal news platform in India.

RCB has not yet released an official statement regarding Sosale's arrest. However, they announced on Thursday that they would provide compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each deceased and cover medical expenses for those injured.