A complaint was lodged against cricketer Virat Kohli on Friday with regard to the deadly stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people and left 56 injured.
The complaint was lodged by social activist HM Venkatesh at Cubbon Park police station, ANI reported. It will be looked into in relation to an existing case and included in the ongoing investigation into the incident.
The stampede happened on June 3, when a huge crowd had gathered to welcome the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team's record-breaking IPL win — their first in 18 years.
Venkatesh, in his complaint, charged Kohli with instigating what he called "gambling through IPL," which he claimed precipitated the huge congregation that resulted in the tragedy.
Venkatesh asserted, "The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not a sport but a gambling that has infested the game of cricket." He added, "Virat Kohli of Bangalore RCB team is the most visible among those who took part in such gambling and motivated people to gather in a particular spot and brought about this tragedy.". Thus, we appeal to you to kindly make Virat Kohli and other members of his team accused in the FIR of this tragedy and take action.
Also on the same day, a Bengaluru sessions court remanded four people into 14 days of judicial custody in the stampede case. They include Nikhil Sosale, the Marketing and Revenue Head at RCB, who has appealed his arrest in the Karnataka High Court. As per a report by Bar and Bench, Sosale argued that his arrest was illegal, arbitrary, and against his basic rights, and he sought the court's help in declaring the arrest illegal and for ordering his release.
Earlier on Friday, the Karnataka High Court gave interim protection to office bearers of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) who moved a petition to quash FIR registered against them in relation to the tragedy. The court directed the state police to desist from any coercive action against them until further orders.
The court has fixed the next hearing on June 9.
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