The Karnataka High Court has stayed all coercive action against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and its event partner DNA Entertainment until Thursday, June 12, in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that killed 11 fans and injured many on June 4. 

The state government, through the Advocate General, assured the Court that no arrests or raids would be carried out in the interim. 

RCB and DNA have filed petitions seeking to quash FIRs filed against them.

A separate hearing for RCB’s Head of Marketing, Nikhil Sosale, is scheduled for June 10. The next joint hearing is set for June 12.

A Bengaluru court remanded four individuals, including Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale and three executives from DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., to 14-day judicial custody following a tragic stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.  

The incident occurred during RCB's IPL victory celebrations, resulting in 11 deaths and 56 injuries.  Authorities allege that the announcement of free entry led to overcrowding and chaos.

An FIR was filed at Cubbon Park Police Station, and the Karnataka government established a one-member commission, headed by retired High Court Justice John Michael Cunha, to investigate the incident.  

While the Karnataka High Court granted interim protection from arrest to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials, it denied relief to Nikhil Sosale.

The Karnataka High Court set aside a 4-year doping ban on national basketball player Shashank J Rai, saying proper legal procedure was not followed.

The Court found that key provisions of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022, especially Sections 21 and 22, were violated, including the right to a fair hearing and proper sample handling.

Rai argued that traces of the banned substance (19-Norandrosterone) came from eating pork, and his claim was backed by expert opinions and bills, but was ignored by the Anti-Doping Panel.

The Court said fairness matters more than strict liability while quashing the ban.

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain Vidarbha Hockey Association's (VHA) plea seeking recognition as an associate member of Hockey India and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta cited the IOA’s “One State, One Unit” policy, which allows recognition of only one hockey body per state for Olympic sports.

VHA’s membership was revoked in 2020 after Hockey Maharashtra was granted recognition.

The Court questioned the urgency of filing the plea during vacation and noted that VHA had failed to submit relevant documents before the Bombay High Court. It allowed VHA to withdraw the petition.

The Delhi High Court has refused to temporarily restrain Uber India from running an advertisement allegedly disparaging the trademark of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The 52-second ad features Australian cricketer Travis Head riding an Uber bike, calling himself “Hyderabaddie" and spray-painting “Royally Challenged,” and teasing “Bengaluru, ready for a headache?”

RCB’s franchise owner, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd., claimed trademark disparagement.

The Court found no evidence of trademark infringement or malicious intent. The court termed the content light-hearted humour and dismissed the plea filed by Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd, the franchise owner.

The Supreme Court will examine whether match-fixing amounts to a criminal offence under Section 420 IPC.

The case involves cricketers CM Gautam and Abrar Kazi, who were accused of accepting ₹20 lakh to underperform in the 2019 Karnataka Premier League final, leading the opposite team-Hubli Tigers, to win by 8 runs.

The Karnataka High Court had previously quashed the charges, stating that match-fixing did not meet the legal criteria for cheating under Section 420 IPC.

The Karnataka government has challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which has appointed Advocate Shivam Singh as Amicus Curiae. The next hearing is scheduled for July 27, 2025. (State of Karnataka & Anr. v Abrar Kazi and Ors)

The Delhi High Court directed the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to ensure gender parity in National Sports Federations’ events.

It held that restricting female para-athletes to 8 slots per event in the 2nd Khelo India Para Games, 2025, while granting 16 to male athletes, is discriminatory and violates the National Sports Development Code, 2011.

The Court was hearing a plea by Rahul Kumar Verma challenging the Badminton Association of India's selection criteria.

It also stressed broader participation by including athletes from domestic, local, and Khelo India events.

The Delhi High Court dismissed WFI’s petition challenging an order requiring an ad-hoc committee to oversee its daily operations.

The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry informed the court that WFI's suspension was lifted on March 10, 2025, in the interest of Indian sports and athletes.

The suspension was initially imposed due to governance lapses and election irregularities. WFI argued that the suspension and lack of an ad-hoc committee affected its participation in international competitions.

The ministry revoked the suspension after WFI implemented reforms, including an Athletes' Commission, Ethics Commission, and Internal Complaints Committee.

The court acknowledged these changes and allowed WFI to resume normal operations.

On February 6, 2025, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to ensure the participation of Indian Kabbadi players in the Asian Kabbadi Championship to be held in Iran from February 20 to 25, 2025.

The Court ordered that the charge of the Amateur Kabbadi Federation of India (AKFI) be handed over to the elected governing body, that was elected in the election held on  December 24, 2023.

The Court also emphasized the urgency of team selection for the championship.

The matter will be next heard on March 3, 2025.

The Delhi High Court ruled that athletes lacking birth certificates due to socio-economic hardships cannot be denied participation in sporting events.

It struck down the Basketball Federation of India’s (BFI) requirement for birth certificates issued within five years of birth, deeming it arbitrary and unfair.

The court directed adherence to the National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports, which allows medical tests for age verification and rejected BFI’s argument of lacking infrastructure and funds, emphasizing government reimbursement of these expenses.

This ruling promotes fair access to sports ensuring equal opportunities in competitive sports selection, setting a precedent for federations to adopt inclusive policies, and preventing discrimination based on documentation barriers.