Who is Nikhil Sosale? Why was he arrested after RCB Parade?

The TATA Indian Premier League 2025 has concluded with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning their first trophy in 17 years. But their win has been shortened due to a tragic incident during the victory parade from Vidhan Soudha to M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. After the announcement of a free pass, the fans came in numbers, but the RCB management failed to make the arrangements.

Beforehand, Karnataka Police had already informed that they would not be able to handle the crowd, but RCB's management forced them to make it happen. The celebrations for winning the IPL 2025 title were cut short on Wednesday when at least 11 people were killed and 56 others were injured in a chaotic stampede outside Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy stadium after the RCB Parade.

The stampede occurred when a large crowd gathered to see the bus procession, which was scheduled just hours after the team defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final on Tuesday. Following the incident, four RCB personnel were detained, including Nikhil Sosle, the club's marketing and revenue head. He has been arrested along with three executives from DNA Entertainment Networks in a late-night operation.

Who is Nikhil Sosale?

Nikhil Sosale, who often appears on television besides cricket players during tournaments, was intercepted at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) while attempting to fly to Mumbai. Nikhil Sosale is a marketing and revenue management expert with over 15 years of experience in the sports and beverage industries.

He has been with RCB since 2012 and is currently the Head of Marketing and Revenue at Diageo India, RCB's primary sponsor, a post he has held since September 2023. Sosle is in charge of the design and strategy for the RCB brand. Sosle, who lives in Bengaluru, has been with Diageo for 13 years and has worked closely with the franchise during that time. Sosle was also the chief of business relationships at RCB. He has often been spotted with Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma in the RCB's private box.

Why has Nikhil Sosale been Arrested?

Nikhil Sosale arrest news came after the Karnataka state government suspended top police officials on Thursday and appointed a new commissioner, Seemanth Kumar Singh. In their FIR filed on Thursday, the Bengaluru police say that they denied the RCB permission to hold their victory parade at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which was the site of the stampede leading to casualties.

As per the Bengaluru police, officers had been on duty around the stadium until 5:30 am on June 4, the day after RCB's victory in the IPL final, and due to the difficulty of managing another large crowd, permission for the event was denied. "Despite this, KSCA, RCB, and DNA proceeded with the event, ignoring police instructions," the FIR said. It further stated that without official authorisation, on June 4. RCB announced their celebration and victory parade on social media and their website, encouraging fans to participate.

As this news circulated on TV and social media, the Police notified the senior officials and requested security and other procedures. The police action comes as enquiries into the management and safety arrangements at Chinnaswamy Stadium continue. The investigations are still on as authorities make sure to find out the causes and responsibility for the fatal stampede.