The Karnataka government told the High Court that senior police officers acted like “servants of Royal Challengers Bengaluru” while handling the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium last month.
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the state, argued that the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) overstepped its jurisdiction by revoking the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar, who was among those suspended for negligence in crowd control.
The suspension, approved by the Union government on June 5, followed the fatal stampede on June 4 that killed 11 people.
Shetty pointed out that police started making security arrangements for the post-match celebrations without verifying who had authorized the event. “Even before the toss of the final match, RCB had informed police about their victory plans, and officers acted as servants of RCB,” he said.
The state questioned the officers’ failure to issue prohibitory orders and highlighted the impossibility of managing the massive crowd with just 12 hours’ notice.
The government also blamed RCB for encouraging crowds, citing cricketer Virat Kohli’s public video appeal, which drew thousands despite police denying permission for the gathering.
The Karnataka government has challenged the CAT’s order in the High Court, seeking to reinstate the suspensions and hold officials accountable for lapses that led to the tragedy.
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