RCB victory parade stampede: Tribunal revokes IPS officer Vikash Kumar's suspension, urges review of others

The Central Administrative Tribunal has revoked IPS officer Vikash Kumar’s suspension over the RCB victory parade stampede in Bengaluru. It cited lack of evidence and urged a review of actions against other officials.

Bengaluru: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has revoked the suspension of senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was among the five officials suspended in connection with the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives.

Suspension challenged for lack of evidence

Vikash Kumar had challenged the Karnataka government's suspension order, which was issued under Rule 3(1)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. The rule relates to dereliction of duty. The order alleged that he, along with other officials, failed to implement necessary crowd-control and safety measures, despite prior information about the mass gathering outside Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Tribunal says suspension lacked specific charges

The tribunal noted that the suspension order failed to clearly outline Vikash’s specific role or acts of negligence that directly led to the stampede. It stated that while there was acknowledgement of insufficient preparation time, the suspension did not establish direct culpability or wilful misconduct by the officer.

Vikash claims he was made a scapegoat

In his application, Vikash argued that he had been unfairly targeted and made a scapegoat in the aftermath of the tragic incident.

Along with quashing Vikash’s suspension, the tribunal urged the Karnataka government to reassess the disciplinary actions taken against the other officers suspended in connection with the incident.

The stampede occurred on June 4, when a massive crowd gathered outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory. The event turned tragic, leading to 11 deaths and over 50 injuries.