Virat Kohli penned down an emotional note for RCB fans and people who lost their lives in the Bengaluru Stampede on June 4th. Royal Challengers Bengaluru shared message on their social media handle in which Kohli said, “Nothing in life really prepares you for a heartbreak like June 4th. What should’ve been the happiest moment in our franchise’s history… turned into something tragic. I’ve been thinking of and praying for the families of those we lost… and for our fans who were injured. Your loss is part of our story now. Together, we will move forward with care, respect and responsibility.”

11 people were dead and 47 others were injured in the stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where the players were parading the trophy for fans. Kohli’s statement on the incident is a part of the team’s ‘RCB CARES’ initiative to ensure better crowd management in the future to avoid untoward incidents such as the June 4 stampede.

Recently, RCB made their first social media post 84 days after the tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru. In a post shared on Thursday, the franchise says they have launched RCB Cares in response to the tragedy that unfolded a day after the franchise won their maiden IPL title.

Here’s the full statement,” Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you. It’s been close to three months since we last posted here.The Silence wasn’t Absence. It was Grief.”

“This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you enjoyed the most.. But June 4th changed everything.That day broke our hearts, and the silence since then has been our way of holding space.” The franchise announced a financial compensation of ₹25 lakh to families of stampede victims

Meanwhile, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has been deemed ‘unsafe’ to host large-scale gatherings, as part of the findings of the report submitted by the Commission to the Karnataka Government. ESPN Cricinfo reported that the venue’s design and structure are ‘unsuitable and unsafe’ for mass gatherings.

As a result, the venue was also ticked off as one of the hosts of the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup. It has been replaced by the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Mumbai: The agonising tension between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil dates back to September 1, 2023, when the police resorted to a lathi charge on protestors gathered at Antarwali Sarati (Jalna). The flashpoint came during the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections last year.

Jarange was acerbic and bitter against the perceived casteist bias harboured by the CM. With Eknath Shinde at the helm between June 2022 and December 5, 2024, the Maratha quota leader was more pliable. This was witnessed when the Shinde-led government succeeded in convincing the protestors to return from Navi Mumbai in January last year.

The past four days were unprecedented. The Maratha agitation had reached the heart of Mumbai, and Fadnavis was at the receiving end for alleged mismanagement by allowing the protestors at Azad Maidan. Everything seemed out of control, until Sunday, that is, when Fadnavis took charge. When the protestors reached Mumbai, Maratha sub-committee head Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was in Shirdi.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde was mostly in Thane, speaking only on a couple of occasions, raising suspicions about his posturing. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar was in Pune, telling the media that he would go to Mumbai if required. It was Union Home Minister Amit Shah who, after visiting Lalbaugcha Raja, held a closed-door meeting with both Fadnavis and Shinde.

The next day, on Monday, a petition came before the Bombay High Court, and the government put up its views opposing the agitation. Fadnavis chaired a few meetings of the ministers’ committee where neither Shinde nor Pawar was present. No cabinet meeting was held to discuss the assurances to be given to Jarange Patil and the government resolutions (GRs) that were to be issued. The drafting of the GRs was also a careful process undertaken on Monday.

That their effectiveness only time will reveal is another matter, though. On Monday, when the CM was asked during his visit to Pune as to why no efforts were made to approach the activist, he said no one approached them for talks. On Tuesday, the state government swiftly deputed a group of ministers led by Vikhe Patil to meet Jarange Patil. Although the High Court was critical of the activist and the behaviour of the agitators, the state changed its stand. This could have been the result of a political fallout over ignoring Jarange Patil, who has a huge mass base, probably bigger than any political leader, a bureaucrat quipped.

Thane: The Thane Sessions Court has granted bail to Kashimira resident Savlaram Smartharam Chaudhary, who was accused of allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of marriage. The court, in its order, observed that the woman was well aware of the fact that the accused was married and hence was equally responsible for the act.

The order stated: “It appears that the accused has not denied or disputed physical relations with the victim. However, he claims that these were consensual relations between adult persons, whereas the victim claims that she consented to such relations due to an assurance of marriage. The investigation papers show that the accused got married on July 23,2024and has a baby. The period of the alleged offence is between August 2023 and January 2025, which means the victim continued her relationship with the accused even after his marriage. She is 28 years old and deals with monetary transactions. She knows the consequences of physical relations with a married person prior to marriage. In these circumstances, the ingredients of Section 69 of BNS are prima facie not attracted against the accused.”

The prosecution alleged that the accused gave a false promise of marriage and maintained physical relations with the woman at various hotels and lodges. He also allegedly obtained Rs 8 lakh from her and committed the offence of cheating, which led to an FIR being lodged against the accused and a co-accused.

The accused, however, claimed innocence, stating that he was falsely implicated. He was arrested on July 27 and has been in judicial custody since July 31 after custodial interrogation. The accused and the victim were colleagues at an imitation jewellery shop, where their friendship eventually turned into a relationship.

The accused further argued that he did not have sexual relations with the victim under a false promise of marriage and that the allegation regarding the Rs 8 lakh was baseless. He maintained that the money was taken as a loan to start an imitation jewellery business and was subsequently repaid.

He also produced a bank statement before the investigating officer, showing that the amount had been returned. Additionally, on April 25, the accused and the victim entered into a compromise deed stating that the victim did not owe any amount to the accused.