KSCA Secretary and Treasurer Resign, Citing 'Moral Responsibility' for RCB Victory Celebration Tragedy

Two senior officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) — Secretary A Shankar and Treasurer ES Jairam — have resigned from their posts in the wake of the stampede that killed 11 people during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

In their resignation letters submitted to KSCA president Raghuram Bhat on Friday night, both officials expressed that while their roles were limited, they were stepping down out of "moral responsibility" for the tragic incident. “Though our role was very limited… we have tendered our resignation… as secretary and treasurer,” they stated.

The fatal incident occurred on Wednesday, during celebrations of RCB’s first-ever IPL title win after 18 seasons. According to the FIR filed by Bengaluru Police, the event was conducted despite police denying permission, and RCB, DNA Entertainment (event partners), and the KSCA were named as accused parties.

Following public outrage, Nikhil Sosale, RCB’s head of marketing and revenue, was arrested on Friday, allegedly while trying to leave the country. His arrest came under the directive of newly-appointed police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, brought in after the previous commissioner was removed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

KSCA has filed a writ petition challenging the FIR, calling it a "knee-jerk reaction" under political pressure. The association claims that crowd and gate management were the responsibilities of RCB, the event organizers, and the police, not the KSCA.

RCB has not released a formal statement since Sosale’s arrest. However, on Thursday, they announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for each of the deceased and pledged to cover medical expenses for the injured. The matter continues to unfold in the Karnataka High Court, with hearings scheduled in the coming days.

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