The Karnataka government on Monday placed direct responsibility on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the June 4 stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that left 11 dead and 75 injured. Citing a string of tweets by the IPL franchise, Advocate General (AG) Shashikiran Shetty told the High Court that RCB’s social media posts triggered the massive crowd build-up without prior permission from authorities. According to Shetty, the franchise posted celebratory messages while still in Ahmedabad after winning the IPL final. The tweets announced a “victory parade” in Bengaluru and openly invited fans, leading to an overwhelming public turnout. Shetty mentioned that thirteen crore people viewed those tweets, adding that though arrangements were made for 1.5 lakh people, the actual numbers far exceeded estimates due to these online declarations. Supporting Shetty’s contention, Additional State Public Prosecutor B N Jagadeesh reiterated that RCB had not consulted the state machinery before making the announcement. The state held the franchise's communication responsible for the uncontrollable rush. Read also: IND Trains at Lord’s, AUS Denied Entry Before WTC Final: Report Sosale's Arrest Sparks Legal Row; CM's Role Questioned Amidst the courtroom arguments, focus also shifted to the arrest of Nikhil Sosale, RCB’s marketing and revenue head. Represented by senior advocate Sandesh Chouta, Sosale’s defence argued that his arrest was unlawful. Chouta asked, “The FIR was registered by Cubbon Park police, but Sosale was held by Central Crime Branch. What was their locus?” Chouta also raised concerns over reported verbal directions by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to arrest RCB and DNA Entertainment officials. He asserted that such orders bypass police autonomy. Justice SR Krishna Kumar echoed the concern, stating, “At best, the CM could say that ‘the accused would be arrested in accordance with law’.” The AG responded that he would verify the accuracy of the CM's statement. Opposing interim relief to the franchise, Shetty added that RCB earned over ₹450 crore from the IPL season. He stated, “They announced ₹10 lakh as compensation but failed to visit victims or their families. This silence speaks volumes.” The hearing will resume on Tuesday.