Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has moved the Karnataka High Court challenging an order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) quashing state government’s order suspending senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash following the stampede incident near M Chinnaswamy stadium during the Indian Premier League (IPL) title victory of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The High Court is likely to hear tomorrow the appeal of the state government against the order of the tribunal.
The order of the tribunal came on a plea filed by IPS officer Vikash, who along with other police officials was suspended by the state government on June 5 following the June 4 stampede incident claiming 11 lives.
The tribunal on Tuesday quashed the state government’s order suspending IPS officer Vikash, saying the suspension order has been passed in a mechanical manner. It further said it appears prima facie that any material was not available for showing the “substantial dereliction of duty” at the time of passing the impugned order of suspension of police officials.
“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 in its order.
The tribunal further said that the franchise did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the police and suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result, the public were gathered. It further added that sufficient time should be given to the police to control such type of gathering and for making the proper arrangements, however, neither the information was given to the police for making the arrangements nor the permission was applied or granted by the police.
“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,” the tribunal said in its order.
The tribunal also said in its order quashing the suspension of IPS officer Vikash 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.
