Karnataka revokes suspension of top cops after Bengaluru stampede case inquiry

India Today

4 days ago

The Karnataka government has revoked the suspension of former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekar H Tekkannavar. The three senior officers were suspended following the June 4 stampede incident outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and left several others injured. A government order confirmed their reinstatement into service. Alongside Dayananda, Vikash Kumar and Shekar, the suspension of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) C Balakrishna, who was then serving as Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cubbon Park), and Inspector Girish, the then Station House Officer of Cubbon Park Police Station, has also been revoked with immediate effect.advertisementThe order stated, 'Since both the Judicial Commission under John Michael D'Cunha and the Magisterial Committee District Magistrate Jagadish G have completed their enquiry into the stampede incident and submitted their reports to the government on July 10 and July 11, 2025 respectively, the officers also submitted representations requesting that their suspension be revoked. In view of the above, the order of suspension of the officers has been reconsidered by the government.'
All five officers were suspended by the Karnataka government after a Cabinet meeting on June 5. The stampede took place during a special felicitation ceremony organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to honour the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players after they won their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 18 years. The incident drew widespread criticism of the police over lapses in preparedness and crowd control measures.On July 1, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had ordered the reinstatement of suspended IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash and directed that the period of his suspension be treated as duty with full pay and allowances. The tribunal further directed the state government to review the suspension of the other two officers, including B Dayananda, and said they should be extended the same benefit without having to approach the court.In response, the state government challenged the tribunal's order in theKarnataka High Court on July 2, contending that the tribunal had overstepped its jurisdiction by making determinations on the stampede without the benefit of a full-fledged departmental inquiry. It described the tribunal's reasoning as 'perverse' and inconsistent with established legal principles concerning suspension.Karnataka government filed a writ petition before the High Court which stated, 'Despite placing material on record justifying the suspension, the Tribunal failed to assess it in the right perspective.'The Karnataka cabinet also approved the findings of the Justice John Michael D'Cunha judicial commission that probed the June 4 stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, paving the way for action against multiple parties, including IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), event management company DNA Entertainment, and Bengaluru Police officers.advertisementThe one-man judicial commission, formed after the Karnataka High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident, has held RCB, KSCA, DNA Entertainment, and the Bengaluru Police directly responsible for what it termed as 'gross negligence and dereliction of duty.'- Ends
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