Bengaluru stampede case: CAT quashes senior police officers' suspension

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday quashed the June 5 order suspending former additional police commissioner (west), Bengaluru, Vikash Kumar Vikash, and suggested that the Karnataka government similarly revoke the suspension of former police commissioner B Dayananda and deputy commissioner of police (central) Shekhar H Tekkannavar, in what appeared to be a strong rebuke to the government's action following the stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said the government would decide on appealing against the CAT order.

The CM had on June 5 announced the suspension of police officers, holding them responsible for the stampede that occurred during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations on June 4 which left 11 persons dead and dozens of fans injured.

A CAT bench of justice BK Shrivastava and member Santosh Mehra, while asking the government to reinstate Vikash Kumar immediately, said that the suspensions of police officers had been done "in a mechanical manner" and that there was no convincing material showing the "default or negligence" of the officers concerned.