Karnataka govt moves HC against CAT’s order revoking IPS officer Vikas Kumar’s suspension in stampede case

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Government on Wednesday challenged the Central Administrative Tribunal’s decision to revoke the suspension of senior IPS officer Vikas Kumar in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case.

Advocate General K Shashikaran Shetty mentioned the petition before a single-judge bench of Justice SG Pandit in the Karnataka High Court today.
The court directed the state government to rectify the office objections.

The bench said that the hearing will be held on Thursday (July 3).

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state government is considering appealing the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) decision that quashed the suspension order of senior IPS officer Vikas Kumar.

Speaking to the media at Vartha Soudha, the central office of the Information and Public Relations Department, Siddaramaiah said, “There is an opportunity to appeal the Central Administrative Tribunal’s order quashing the suspension order of IPS officers in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede case and an appropriate decision will be taken in this regard.”

Vikas Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police, was among the officers suspended following the stampede incident at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory parade.

The CAT recently set aside the suspension, prompting the government to weigh its legal options. The incident claimed 11 lives and injured over 50 people.

Meanwhile, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday stated that it was the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who appear to be “prima facie responsible” for the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured.

The quasi-judicial body stated that RCB didn’t obtain permission from the police and posted about the gathering on social media platforms, which led to the assembly of approximately three to five lakh people. It said that police were not given sufficient time to make appropriate arrangements.

The Karnataka government also released Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for managing crowds efficiently to ensure public safety and maintain law and order.

An official order from the office of the Director General and Inspector General of Police, Bangalore said, “Crowd management at public events, ranging from festivals and rallies to sports celebrations, requires a strategic and well-coordinated approach. This SOP is issued to provide a standardised framework for managing crowds efficiently while ensuring public safety, protecting individual rights, and maintaining law and order.”

As per the order, the objective was to establish clear guidelines for planning, deploying, and executing crowd control measures at events involving large gatherings, with an emphasis on minimising risks, enhancing coordination, and ensuring a quick response to emergencies. (ANI)