Bengaluru: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), while quashing the Karnataka government’s order suspending senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash in the wake of the stampede incident, said prima facie it appears that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is responsible for the huge gathering as it did not take the appropriate permission.
The Bengaluru bench of CAT comprising Justice BK Shrivastava and administrative member Santhosh Mehra was hearing a plea filed by Vikash, who along with other police officials was suspended by the government on June 5 following the June 4 stampede incident near M Chinnaswamy stadium claiming 11 lives during RCB’s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title victory celebration.
The tribunal said that it appears that the franchise placed the information of victory celebration to the public on social media platforms without obtaining the permission from the police or without the consent of concerned police officers and this action of the RCB led the public gathering of immense proportion exceeding three lakh individuals and at that moment it was not possible for the police to make the arrangements.
“Prima facie it appears that the RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered. Because of shortage of time on 04.06.2026, the Police was unable to do the appropriate arrangements. Sufficient time was not given to the Police,” CAT said in its order.
The tribunal further said sufficient time should be given to the police to control such type of gathering and for making the proper arrangements but neither the information was given to the police for making the arrangements nor the permission was applied or granted by the police.
“Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither “God”(Bhagwan) nor Magician and also not having the magic powers like “Alladdin ka Chirag” which was able to fulfil any wish only by rubbing a finger,” the tribunal said and added, “The KSCA submitted a letter which also did not contain any request for granting the permission or for making the arrangements. The letter shows only the information regarding the intention. Therefore, it was not expected from the Police that upon the basis of letter submitted before the Station Incharge of one Police Station, the Police will make all arrangements all of a sudden.”
The tribunal said prima facie, it appears that, at the time of passing the impugned order of suspension of police officials, any material was not available for showing the “substantial dereliction of duty”.
The suspension order has been passed in a mechanical manner and the order is not based upon the convincing materials. The police officers have been suspended without any sufficient material or grounds. Hence, the aforesaid order is liable to be quashed,” the tribunal said.
The tribunal also said in its order that it is a settled principle of law that where a citizen aggrieved by an action of government department has approached the court and obtain a declaration of law in his/her favour, other similarly situated ought to be extended the benefit without the need for them to come to Court.
“In the light of aforesaid settled position of law, we expect from the Government that the Government will give the same benefit to the other officers who were suspended by the same order,” the tribunal said.
