Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has officially revoked the suspension of former Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and three other officers, who were held accountable for the June 4 stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium that killed 11 people.
Alongside Dayananda, the suspension orders of DCP (Central) Shekhar H Tekkannavar, ACP C Balakrishna (Cubbon Park Subdivision), and Inspector AK Girish (Cubbon Park Police Station) have also been lifted. The decision follows the completion of inquiries by both a judicial commission and a magisterial committee, which submitted their findings to the government earlier this month.
However, the suspension of Vikash Kumar Vikash, then Additional Commissioner of Police (West) and in charge of stadium security, remains in effect. Vikash had challenged his suspension before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which ruled in his favor, suggesting that other officers also deserve similar relief. The government has contested this CAT decision in the Karnataka High Court, and proceedings are ongoing.
The officers had appealed for revocation of their suspension, citing the completion of inquiry reports. A government order stated that “considering the representations and inquiry findings, the suspension orders have been reconsidered.”
Although reinstated, the officers’ new postings are yet to be announced, and disciplinary action may still follow.
The suspensions, issued immediately after the tragic stampede during RCB’s IPL title celebration, had sparked public backlash and criticism from several IPS officers, who termed the move hasty and politically motivated.