Karnataka HC
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday moved the Karnataka High Court challenging the order passed by Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Bengaluru bench that quashed the order suspending IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash in relation to the stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, 2025.
Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty made a mention before a division bench headed by Justice S G Pandit for urgent hearing. The bench indicated that the matter may be taken up on Thursday.
The state government has claimed that the tribunal failed to consider the circumstances that led to the suspension of the police officers. It said that prima facie, these circumstances pointed out at a substantial dereliction of duty on the part of the officers.
The state government further stated that the tribunal had given specific findings regarding the entire incident as though it was a departmental enquiry, and the same is contrary to settled principles of law pertaining to matters relating to suspension. According to the state government, relevant extracts of the Karnataka Police Manual and analysis of the sequence of events pertaining to June 4 were placed before the CAT bench in a sealed cover in justification of the suspension order. The tribunal quashed the suspension order without considering these materials in the right perspective, the state government claimed.
It also claimed that fact that the tribunal has misinterpreted the constitution of the two enquiries, magisterial and inquiry commission, and contended that constitution of inquiries does not mean the state does not have sufficient material to come to the conclusion of prima facie substantial dereliction of duties against the officer.
The CAT bench had quashed the order of suspension against Vikash Kumar, holding that it was done in a mechanical manner, not based on convincing materials and without any sufficient material or grounds. While allowing the application filed by Vikash Kumar, the bench also said that it expected the state government to extend the similar benefit (revoking of suspension) to the other police officers who have faced similar action in the wake of the stampede.