Bengaluru: Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer and former Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) West, Bengaluru, Vikash Kumar Vikash has approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) questioning his suspension in connection with the June 4 stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru which claimed 11 lives besides leaving several people injured. The CAT bench at Bengaluru listed the petition for hearing tomorrow (June 10).
Vikash Kumar Vikash is one of the five senior police officers including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand who were suspended on June 5 following a direction by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claiming their negligence and apathy led to the stampede.
Vikash Kumar Vikash on Monday filed a petition before the CAT through his advocate Dhanush Menon making Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh respondent.
A day after the tragic incident Siddaramaiah announced the suspension of five officers and the same day suspension order was issued. The decision evoked strong reactions among the police force, former IPS officers and a section of the public who termed it unjust and aimed at scapegoating.
Meanwhile, a group of retired IPS officers from across the country have written to Siddaramaiah seeking revocation of suspension of police officers "You can initiate action against the police officers if they are found to be guilty in the on-going judicial probe into the June 4 tragic incident. Till such time, we urge you to revoke their suspension," they said in an open letter.
Calling the suspension 'unjust', the retired police officers noted that the Commissioner had an unblemished record of service and integrity. The hurried suspension of efficient officers has given an impression that the Government was scapegoating these officers, it added.
They blamed the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for the stampede. "The haste, over-enthusiasm and commercial interests of the RCB, KSCA and associated event organisers led to this tragic incident," the letter said.
They claimed that the police had advised that the event be postponed to June 8 allowing adequate time for preparation and coordination. However, the advice was ignored and the organisers continued to promote the celebrations online offering free passes and calling fans to the stadium. "Instead of holding accountable those who insisted on holding the celebrations despite warnings and to impose penalties on profit-driven organisations who played with the lives of innocent fans, it is unfortunate that the Government sought to act against police officers," it said.
