The Karnataka High Court on Thursday ordered the interim release of the marketing head of Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bengaluru and three others who were arrested in connection with the stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, Live Law reported.

Eleven persons were killed and more than 50 were injured on June 4 in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where fans had gathered to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory in the Indian Premier League.

On June 5, the court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and issued notice to the Congress government in the state. It also sought a status report from the Karnataka government.

A day later, the Karnataka Police arrested Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, along with event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks’ Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S and Shamant NP Mavinakere in connection with the stampede.

On Thursday, Justice SR Krishna Kumar ordered the interim release of the four men, and directed them to surrender their passports, Live Law reported.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Sosale’s counsel argued that individuals cannot be held liable when an entity is named in the first information report, and claimed the arrests were made without proper investigation.

The petitioners also argued that their arrests were politically motivated and made allegedly on the directions of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, despite the police lacking jurisdiction over the case, The Hindu reported.

In response, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the state of Karnataka argued that Royal Challengers Bengaluru held the victory parade without official permission and misled the public through social media posts.

“They have over 28 lakh followers milords,” Shetty was quoted as saying by the legal news outlet. “They have invited the whole world but no permission is given.”