Latest news with #Rajagopal
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
MS Swaminathan's disciple plans to celebrate his birth centenary in Tirupati
Renowned agronomist and plant breeder M.S. Swaminathan's centenary celebrations will be held in a grand manner in Tirupati on August 7. Velamoor Rajagopal, a disciple of Dr. Swaminathan and an avid follower of his 'Zero Hunger India' concept, has themed the event to promote the concept of 'Hunger-free Tirupati'. A native of Tirupati, Dr. Rajagopal, now aged 82 years, launched Society for Hunger Elimination (SHE) after retiring as Director of Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) at Kasaragod, Kerala. Dr. Rajagopal was mentored on issues pertaining to food security by Dr. Swaminathan for nearly 23 years, which led to the birth of SHE as a platform to address food wastage, hunger elimination, malnutrition and allied issues. Braving his age and the accompanying ailments, he is busy planning the schedule, which includes guest lectures by agricultural experts, competitions for school students etc.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
CAT order on Bengaluru stampede: State govt, RCB, suspended IPS officer make submissions in Karnataka HC
The Karnataka High Court Friday heard submissions from the state challenging the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order quashing the suspension of several senior IPS officers in the wake of the June 4 Bengaluru stadium stampede. The counsel of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash also made submissions on his behalf, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru's counsel made submissions in their petition challenging CAT's remarks regarding the responsibility of RCB for the tragedy. Eleven people died and several others got injured outside the Bengaluru cricket stadium on June 4, during an event called to celebrate RCB's maiden IPL championship victory. Appearing on behalf of the state, Senior Advocate P S Rajagopal argued that the Tribunal had gone into a fact-finding exercise which it was not authorised or warranted to go into, and then absolved the police officers and granted them relief. Rajagopal further said, 'What these (police) officers do, as if they are servants of RCB, as if they have no powers under Police Act… they start making the bandobast security arrangements.' He added that the police could have simply refused permission to RCB and issued a prohibitory order under the Police Act. Rajagopal also objected to a statement of the CAT in the context of the stampede to the effect that the police did not have magic powers. Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinappa appeared on behalf of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash. In the context of the stampede, he drew an analogy to the Hollywood film, Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, which describes a real incident of a plane crash landing in the Hudson River. The pilot had the option of landing in the river or at the airport during an emergency, and simulators during an inquiry showed that he could have landed at the airport. But when accounting for extra time for human factors, the simulator would crash the plane. Having made the analogy, the counsel said, 'People who are at the event in the relevant time are the ones who have to take a decision… all the unfortunate events of people passing away happened in the span of 5-10 minutes and was contained. In all these unfortunate events there has to be a scapegoat… therefore you choose the top three officers… and suspend them.' He also questioned the phrasing of 'accountability' in the government orders. Briefly arguing on behalf of RCB with regard to remarks of CAT holding them responsible for the stampede, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta said, 'We are aware that (the remarks) are not binding but expunging would be necessary in view of other inquiries are going on.' He added that there had been no objections from others to the plea for expunging the remarks. The hearing of the matter is set to continue on Friday.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Servants of RCB': What Karnataka government told court on Bengaluru stampede
The Karnataka government on Thursday defended its decision to suspend IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, telling the High Court that the officer and his team behaved as if they were 'servants of RCB' during preparations for the IPL victory celebration, which ended in a stampede that killed 11 people and injured 33. Fans gather outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru winning the Indian Premier League (IPL), in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025. (AFP File) Appearing for the state, senior counsel PS Rajagopal said Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had submitted a proposal for their victory celebrations even before the final IPL match was played. Instead of seeking mandatory authorisation for such a massive public event, the officers began arranging security without consulting their seniors or securing the required permissions, he added. 'The most obvious response from the IPS officer should have been: You haven't taken permission,' PTI quoted Rajagopal as saying in the court. 'Then, RCB would have had to approach the high court, and the law would have taken its own course,' he added. He argued that the failure to question the event's legality and the lack of senior-level consultation amounted to a serious dereliction of duty. 'No senior-level consultation took place, and the officers were merely placed under interim suspension to prevent further damage,' Rajagopal said. Referring to the logistical impracticality of handling such a large crowd in less than 12 hours, he questioned what proactive steps the suspended officer had taken during that period. He then cited Section 35 of the Karnataka State Police Act to point out that police had sufficient powers to act but failed to do so. When the Bench of Justices SG Pundit and TM Nadaf asked who oversaw security inside the stadium, Rajagopal said it was the state police and admitted that arrangements were 'clearly inadequate.' Rajagopal also criticised the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for quashing the suspension. He took issue with the Tribunal's sympathetic remarks about the police's limitations, reading from its order: 'Police personnel are also human beings, not God or magicians.' Rajagopal dismissed it as 'an inappropriate narrative more suited for storytelling by grandparents,' adding, 'This is not what litigants expect from a judicial forum.' The state's submissions were made in a petition challenging the CAT's July 1 order reinstating Vikash with full pay and allowances. The Tribunal had found no convincing evidence of negligence and said the police had little time to act after RCB made a sudden announcement on social media. It also observed that managing a crowd of 3 to 5 lakh people required far more planning than was possible in the available time. Despite acknowledging that RCB's announcement triggered the crowd, the Tribunal concluded that the police 'could not be expected to perform miracles.' On July 2, advocate general Shashi Kiran Shetty told the High Court that Vikash had resumed duty in uniform. The court refused to stay the CAT's order and listed the matter for further hearing the next day. On July 3, the division bench orally questioned the necessity of suspension and suggested that a departmental shift might have sufficed. The AG defended the suspension as being backed by records and pressed for a stay. Vikash's counsel, senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, assured the court that no contempt proceedings would be initiated. The Bench, in turn, urged both sides to avoid precipitative action until the issue is resolved. Vikash is the only one among five suspended officers to challenge the action before the Tribunal. The others include Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, DCP Shekar H Tekkannavar, ACP C Balakrishna, and inspector AK Girish. With PTI inputs
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru stampede: Police officers acted as 'servants of RCB', says Karnataka govt before HC
The Karnataka government on Thursday defended the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash before the High Court, stating that the officer and his team behaved as though they were "servants of RCB" during preparations for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebration, news agency PTI reported. The RCB victory event ended in tragedy, with a stampede that killed 11 people and injured 33.(HT_PRINT) The event ended in tragedy, with a stampede that killed 11 people and injured 33, leading to widespread criticism and legal scrutiny. (Also Read: Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka govt blames RCB, points to Virat Kohli video before victory parade) Appearing for the state, Senior Counsel PS Rajagopal argued that RCB had submitted a proposal for a victory rally even before the IPL final was played. Instead of awaiting proper authorisation, the police officers allegedly went ahead and began making security arrangements without consulting higher authorities or ensuring official permissions were in place, the report added. 'The most obvious response from the IPS officer should have been: 'You haven't taken permission',' Rajagopal told the court. 'Then RCB would have had to approach the High Court, and the law would have taken its course.' He accused the officer of failing in his duty and causing 'public embarrassment' by treating the celebration as a foregone conclusion, leading to serious operational lapses. Rajagopal said that making arrangements for such a large crowd in less than 12 hours was "impractical," and questioned what proactive steps had been taken in that timeframe. He cited Section 35 of the Karnataka State Police Act, which empowers officers to take necessary preventive action, and said the suspended officers had failed to exercise that authority. He also noted that no consultations were held at senior levels of the police hierarchy before action was taken. The interim suspension was not punitive but preventive, Rajagopal argued, intended to avoid further administrative damage while the matter was under investigation. When the Division Bench of Justices SG Pundit and TM Nadaf asked who was in charge of security inside the stadium during the event, Rajagopal responded that it was the state police, acknowledging that the arrangements had been 'clearly inadequate.' He further criticised the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for quashing the officer's suspension and took exception to the Tribunal's empathetic remarks about the limitations of police personnel. Reading from the CAT's order, Rajagopal pointed out its observation that 'police personnel are also human beings, not God or magicians.' He called this an "inappropriate narrative", remarking, 'This is something grandparents would say. It's not what litigants expect from a judicial forum.' The case continues as the court examines the state's arguments and the CAT's decision. (Also Read: ED raids over 15 locations in Bengaluru in ₹100 crore Cooperative Bank Fraud Case)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: Police officers acted as 'servants of RCB', says Karnataka govt before HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday justified the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash before the High Court, arguing that the police officer and his colleagues acted as though they were "servants of RCB" during preparations for the IPL victory celebration , leading to a stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others. Senior Counsel P S Rajagopal, appearing for the state, told the court that even before the final IPL match was played, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had submitted a proposal to police officials regarding their victory celebrations. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category healthcare CXO PGDM Operations Management Finance Healthcare Product Management Design Thinking Public Policy Project Management others Degree Data Analytics Data Science Data Science Leadership MBA Cybersecurity MCA Others Management Artificial Intelligence Digital Marketing Technology Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details Instead of seeking authorisation for such a large public gathering, the officers began making security arrangements without consulting their superiors or confirming the necessary permissions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Best Method for a Flat Stomach After 50 (It's Genius!) Lulutox Undo "The most obvious response from the IPS officer should have been: You haven't taken permission," Rajagopal said. "Then, RCB would have had to approach the High Court, and the law would have taken its own course." Live Events He asserted that this failure to act responsibly led to operational lapses and a serious dereliction of duty. Arguing that making arrangements for a massive crowd in under 12 hours was impractical, Rajagopal questioned what proactive steps the suspended officer had taken during that time. He cited Section 35 of the Karnataka State Police Act , which empowers police to take necessary action, and criticised the officers for not utilising that authority. He added that no senior-level consultation had taken place, and that the officers were merely placed under interim suspension to prevent further damage. When the Bench comprising Justices SG Pundit and TM Nadaf asked who oversaw security inside the stadium, Rajagopal replied it was state police personnel, admitting the security arrangements were clearly inadequate. He also took issue with the Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) reasoning for quashing the suspension, particularly its remarks sympathising with police limitations. Reading from the CAT's order, Rajagopal criticised the Tribunal's observation that "police personnel are also human beings, not God or magicians," calling it an inappropriate narrative more suited for storytelling by grandparents. "This is not what litigants expect from a judicial forum," he remarked. Background of the case The state's submissions came during its challenge to the CAT's July 1 order that had quashed the suspension of Vikash Kumar Vikash and directed his immediate reinstatement with full pay and allowances. The Tribunal had concluded that there was no convincing evidence of negligence and observed that the police had very little time to react to RCB's sudden social media announcement of the celebration. It noted that crowd control for an estimated three to five lakh people required significantly more time and preparation than was available. Despite recognising that RCB's actions triggered the crowd build-up, the Tribunal held that the police could not be expected to perform miracles. Following this, on July 2, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty informed the High Court that Vikash had resumed duties in uniform. The Court, however, refused to stay the CAT order and listed the matter for a detailed hearing the following day. On July 3, a division bench orally questioned whether suspension was necessary and suggested that a departmental shift might have sufficed. The AG insisted the suspension was well-supported by records and sought a stay of the CAT ruling. Senior Counsel Dhyan Chinnappa, representing Vikash, assured the court that no contempt proceedings would be initiated. The Bench, in turn, advised against precipitative action until the matter is conclusively resolved. Notably, Vikash is the only one among five suspended officers to challenge the decision before the Tribunal. The others include Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, DCP Shekar H Tekkannavar, ACP C Balakrishna, and Inspector A K Girish.
