CAT reinstates IPS officer after stampede

In a major setback to the Karnataka government, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has quashed the suspension of senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was among five officers suspended following the tragic June 4 stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The stampede occurred during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebration, which drew thousands of fans. The chaos left 11 people dead and over 50 injured. In the aftermath, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended multiple police officers, citing dereliction of duty.

Vikash, then serving as Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru (West), was in charge of security for the event. He challenged his suspension before the CAT, arguing that he had been unfairly made a scapegoat.

On Tuesday, a CAT Division Bench comprising Justice B.K. Srivastava and Justice Santosh Mehra ruled in his favor. The bench not only annulled the suspension order but also directed the state government to reinstate all facilities and reimburse withheld allowances.

The CAT had earlier issued a notice to the state over Vikash’s suspension. Despite the government’s defense that officers failed in their responsibilities, the tribunal found insufficient grounds for his suspension.

Other officials suspended include the DCP of the Central Division, ACP C. Balakrishna, Circle Inspector A.K. Girish, and City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda. The government had justified the move as a disciplinary measure based on preliminary findings. With the tribunal’s order, Vikash Kumar Vikash is now set to return to service, pending further developments.