<p>Bengaluru: The Cubbon Park police and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police in a joint operation arrested four people, including a senior official of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/rcb">RCB</a>), in connection with the stampede at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday that killed 11 and injured over 60.</p><p>The arrested are Nikhil Sosale, the marketing manager of RCB; Sunil Mathew, Vice President, Business Affairs at DNA Entertainment Private Limited; Kiran Kumar, manager at DNA and Sumath, another staffer at DNA. DNA Entertainment Private Limited was an event management company hired by the RCB for their celebratory programme after they won the maiden IPL trophy on Tuesday. </p><p>The four were produced before the 41st ACJM Court on Friday evening and remanded in judicial custody at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison till June 19.</p><p>The operation was overseen by Hakay Akshay Machhindra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), who is also in a concurrent charge of the Central division of Bengaluru police, following the suspension of Shekhar H Tekkannavar.</p><p>According to senior officers who spoke with DH, Sosale was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) between 4 am and 4.30 am on Friday. The others were secured in and on the outskirts of Bengaluru, including Hoskote and Kolar.</p><p>They were then brought to the city and placed in the holding cell at the Cubbon Park police station. After a medical examination, they were produced before the court. The case was then handed over to the CID for further probe.</p><p>Their arrest followed three seperate FIRs registered by the Cubbon Park police on Thursday, where RCB, DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) were named as accused one, two and three, respectively.</p>.B'luru stampede: Govt appoints Seemant Kumar Singh as new city commissioner .<p><strong>Closeness to Virat Kohli</strong></p><p>Sosale is considered to be in the close circles of RCB and Indian senior cricketer Virat Kohli and has been an integral part of the cricket team’s set-up since its formative years, and has been a visible presence at the auctions and many key team events.</p><p>Sosale -- who holds a double major in International Business, Management & Entrepreneurship from James Cook University -- also worked with the now-defunct Force India Formula 1 team.</p><p>According to Sosale's LinkedIn profile, he has “played an integral role in the evolution and scaling of the RCB brand and business to its current leadership position and cultural influence." Sosale has been working with Diageo, which is a part of United Spirits Limited (USL) that owns RCB, for the last 13 years.</p><p>Sosale has been a visible presence at RCB games over the last few seasons. Sosale counts Kohli and his actress-wife Anushka Sharma amongst his Instagram followers.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Cubbon Park police and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police in a joint operation arrested four people, including a senior official of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/rcb">RCB</a>), in connection with the stampede at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday that killed 11 and injured over 60.</p><p>The arrested are Nikhil Sosale, the marketing manager of RCB; Sunil Mathew, Vice President, Business Affairs at DNA Entertainment Private Limited; Kiran Kumar, manager at DNA and Sumath, another staffer at DNA. DNA Entertainment Private Limited was an event management company hired by the RCB for their celebratory programme after they won the maiden IPL trophy on Tuesday. </p><p>The four were produced before the 41st ACJM Court on Friday evening and remanded in judicial custody at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison till June 19.</p><p>The operation was overseen by Hakay Akshay Machhindra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), who is also in a concurrent charge of the Central division of Bengaluru police, following the suspension of Shekhar H Tekkannavar.</p><p>According to senior officers who spoke with DH, Sosale was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) between 4 am and 4.30 am on Friday. The others were secured in and on the outskirts of Bengaluru, including Hoskote and Kolar.</p><p>They were then brought to the city and placed in the holding cell at the Cubbon Park police station. After a medical examination, they were produced before the court. The case was then handed over to the CID for further probe.</p><p>Their arrest followed three seperate FIRs registered by the Cubbon Park police on Thursday, where RCB, DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) were named as accused one, two and three, respectively.</p>.B'luru stampede: Govt appoints Seemant Kumar Singh as new city commissioner .<p><strong>Closeness to Virat Kohli</strong></p><p>Sosale is considered to be in the close circles of RCB and Indian senior cricketer Virat Kohli and has been an integral part of the cricket team’s set-up since its formative years, and has been a visible presence at the auctions and many key team events.</p><p>Sosale -- who holds a double major in International Business, Management & Entrepreneurship from James Cook University -- also worked with the now-defunct Force India Formula 1 team.</p><p>According to Sosale's LinkedIn profile, he has “played an integral role in the evolution and scaling of the RCB brand and business to its current leadership position and cultural influence." Sosale has been working with Diageo, which is a part of United Spirits Limited (USL) that owns RCB, for the last 13 years.</p><p>Sosale has been a visible presence at RCB games over the last few seasons. Sosale counts Kohli and his actress-wife Anushka Sharma amongst his Instagram followers.</p>
