"No Aladdin Ka Chirag": Relief For IPS Suspended Over Bengaluru Stampede

NDTV

01-07-2025

Bengaluru:
The Central Administrative Tribunal has blamed the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the Chinnaswamy cricket stadium stampede in which 11 people died. In its order accessed by NDTV, the central tribunal said the cricket team posted the victory celebrations invite on social media, which drew a massive crowd outside the stadium - leaving no time for the police to make appropriate arrangements.
"The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms, and as a result of the aforesaid information, the public gathered. Because of a shortage of time, the police were unable to make the appropriate arrangements. It cannot be expected from the police that within a short time of about 12 hours, the police will make all the required arrangements," the order read.
It added, "Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither 'God' nor magicians. They do not have the magic powers like 'Alladin ka Chirag' (Alladin's lamp) that they can fulfill any wish by rubbing a finger."
The central tribunal also revoked the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash over the Bengaluru stadium stampede, two days after the Centre had approved his suspension. The tribunal, while setting aside his suspension, said that the IPS officer's brief period of suspension should be counted as a period of service.
Vikash Kumar Vikash was serving as the Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, West, Bengaluru. He was deputed as the in-charge of the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, where the stampede occurred.
The tribunal also suggested the Karnataka government to consider revoking the suspension of two other officers - B Dayananda (who was the Bengaluru Commissioner of Police) and Shekar H Tekkannavar (who was the Deputy Commissioner of Police).
"The action of suspending the police officers is not based upon sufficient or substantial materials. At the time of passing of the aforesaid order, there was no convincing material for showing the default or negligence of the concerned police officers," it said.
The Centre, however, has the option to challenge the central tribunal's decision.
The Karnataka government on June 9 had ordered the suspension of five senior police officers over the stampede incident in which 11 people died. These included Vikash Kumar Vikash (Bengaluru Additional Commissioner of Police), B Dayananda (Bengaluru Commissioner of Police), Shekar H Tekkannavar (Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police), C Balakrishna (Bengaluru Assistant Commissioner of Police), and A K Girish (Police Inspector, Cubbon Park Police Station).
The same day, IPS Vikash Kumar had challenged the suspension in the court of the Central Administrative Tribunal.
The central government, on June 29, had approved the suspension of the three IPS officers following the Karnataka government's recommendation to suspend them for lapses in crowd management.
Bengaluru stadium stampede
Eleven people, including a 14-year-old girl, died, and many more were injured in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, where a large number of people had gathered to participate in the RCB victory celebrations. Since then, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been facing a barrage of criticism, with the BJP and JD(S) members calling for his resignation.
The BJP had called it a "government-manufactured stampede", holding the Siddaramaiah dispensation directly responsible for the tragedy.