Suspended Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash has claimed he is being unfairly targeted in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that left 11 dead and over 50 injured. In a petition to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), he called the Karnataka government’s suspension order “premature” and a “knee-jerk reaction” driven by public outrage.
The officer contends the order lacks any specific charge of misconduct and was issued without giving him a chance to explain or be heard. He emphasized that a magisterial probe into the incident is still ongoing, and questioned how he could be held responsible before its findings are made public.
Vikash argued that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) impulsively announced celebrations with inadequate planning, despite having less than 12 hours between the IPL victory and the event.
“How can I be blamed when the government itself admits the crowd came without tickets or passes due to RCB and KSCA’s open invitation?” his petition stated.
The plea also noted that alternative disciplinary actions, such as a transfer or internal inquiry, were never considered. It described the June 5 suspension order as “mechanical,” lacking independent assessment of his involvement.
Citing his unblemished service record, Vikash said the decision had caused serious damage to his career and reputation. He also highlighted past tragedies where officers were not suspended, calling the move discriminatory and legally weak.
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