A view of the High Court of Karnataka.
The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday permitted two executives of the event management company M/s DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd., who were arraigned as accused in the criminal cases related to the stampede that occurred outside M. Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, 2025, to travel to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil from June 1 to June 10 by relaxing their bail conditions.
A vacation Bench of Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the interim order on applications filed by Sunil Matthew, a director, and Kiran Kumar S., a senior event manager of DNA, seeking permission for the release of their passports from the trial court and to travel to Brazil to attend an international event connected with the business activities of their company.
The court, on April 30, had ordered the release of their passports to enable them to make travel arrangements, while asking them not to leave the country till May 12, after the prosecution pointed out that the applications lacked travel details.
June 12 deadline
On perusing their travel details, the court permitted them to travel to the places indicated in their applications, while making it clear that they should return to Bengaluru by June 12, the next date of hearing on the petitions in which they have challenged the legality of the criminal cases registered against them.
The criminal cases were registered against them and others in connection with the deaths of 11 persons in a stampede that occurred during victory celebrations organised at the stadium following the RCB team’s victory in the IPL 2025 cricket tournament.
Mr. Matthew and Mr. Kumar were among the accused arrested after the stampede, but the High Court on June 12 ordered their release on bail, declaring their arrest by the police “illegal”. The court had directed them to deposit their passports with the trial court as a condition for their release on bail.
Published – May 12, 2026 07:59 pm IST
