Bengaluru Stampede: Karnataka High Court Permits Two DNA Entertainment Officials To Travel Abroad For Business Meeting In June

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday (May 12) granted conditional permission to two senior functionaries of event management firm M/s DNA Entertainment Networks–accused in the Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case, to travel to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for a business meeting next month. 

The Court, however, made it clear that the permission was limited to the specific trip and listed the matter for further checks on June 12.

On April 30 the high court had directed the conditional release of passports of three functionaries of the event management firm, on the condition that they will not leave the country until May 12.

A single-judge bench of Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the order, while allowing the interim application for relaxation of the foreign travel ban imposed on the petitioners. The court also consequently permitted the functionaries to attend a business meeting at Rio de Janeiro between June 1 and June 10.

The petitioners had as per the April 30 order filed their affidavits ensuring their return and the proposed travel itinerary. 

“Heard both parties in IA 01/26 in WP 16469/2025. The Matter came up before this court previously on April 30. Subsequently, the Petitioner No 1, Sunil Mathew and Petitioner No.2 Kiran Kumar have filed affidavits along with a travel itinerary that they will be visiting Rio between June 1-June 10, and necessary permissions may be granted in their favour…In lieu of circumstances, affidavits submitted, and documents placed on record, petitioners 1 & 2 are to be permitted to travel to Rio, Brazil, between June 1 and June 10. Relist on June 12. Relist before the appropriate bench having roster on June 12...”, the court noted in the order after perusing the affidavits.

During the hearing of the petitioners' application seeking permission to travel abroad, the State initially objected to the same arguing that the court should not permit the petitioners to travel without adequate safeguards.

The State alleged that the interim application was bereft of any details, and it needed further time to peruse the affidavits freshly submitted by the petitioners. It further, submitted that a final report by the investigating agency would be examined by the coordinate bench, which contained 'serious allegations' and identified the present petitioners as the prime accused.

On the other hand, the petitioners' counsel submitted a proposed itinerary highlighting professional exigencies. The counsel submitted that the petitioners' manage approximately eight IPL teams and handle about three events per day within India itself, and that two of the petitioners needed to travel to Rio de Janeiro on business.

For context, a stampede had occurred in Bengaluru near Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, 2025, ahead of the IPL team Royal Challenger Bangalore's 2025 IPL victory celebration. Reportedly 11 people lost their lives in the stampede while over 30 people are stated to have suffered injuries. RCB won the 2025 IPL Final defeating Punjab Kings on June 3, winning the coveted trophy for the first time, since the inception of the IPL in 2008.

Notably, on June 12, 2025 the court had ordered interim release of RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale from judicial custody in pleas challenging arrest.

The court had also granted relief by ordering the interim release of Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S and Shamant N P Mavinakere of the event organising company M/s DNA Entertainment Networks Private Ltd., subject to surrender of their passports.

Notably, on June 5, 2025 the high court had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and had issued notice to the Karnataka Government to ascertain cause of the tragedy and how to prevent it in future.

The matter is now listed on June 12. 

.Case Title: Sunil Mathew & Ors v. State of Karnataka & Ors

Case No: WP 16469/2025 & Connected matters