Fresh representation from IPS officer suspended over Bengaluru stampede will be considered: Govt tells High Court

Bengaluru: The state government on Friday informed the High Court that if IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash submits a fresh representation as done by four other officers suspended in connection with the stampede at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, the same will be considered.

A division bench headed by Justices SG Pandit adjourned the matter till next Friday, indicating that in case the state government does not pass any orders on the representation by the next date of hearing, the court will proceed to pass orders in the petition filed by the state government.

The court was hearing the petition filed by the state government challenging the July 1, 2025 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Bengaluru setting aside the suspension order of Vikash Kumar in relation to the June 4 stampede incident, which claimed 11 lives.

As the hearing commenced, PS Rajagopal, senior advocate and special counsel representing the state government, submitted that the state will consider the representation of Vikash Kumar, if filed afresh. Responding to this, senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, representing Vikash, said that the officer had already submitted such a representation.

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 the suspension) to the other police officers suspended.