Bengaluru Stampede Tragedy: HC Calls Police Suspensions An “Extreme Step”

The Karnataka High Court, on July 3, 2025, described the suspension of five police officers following the June 4, 2025, stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as an “extreme step.” 

Karnataka High Court Seeks Records in Bengaluru Police Suspension Case

The stampede, which occurred during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory, resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries. The court, comprising Justices SG Pandit and TM Nadaf, questioned whether a milder action, such as transferring the officers, would have been sufficient instead of suspension. 

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This observation came during a hearing of the state government’s appeal against a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order on July 1, which quashed the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, the then Additional Commissioner of Police (West), Bengaluru, calling it “mechanical” and lacking sufficient grounds.

The court asked the state to justify the suspensions, noting that the officers were accused of dereliction of duty in managing the crowd. The state argued that ongoing magisterial and judicial inquiries necessitated the suspensions to avoid influencing witnesses, but the CAT had ruled that the police lacked prior notice of RCB’s victory parade, which was announced unilaterally via social media without proper permission. The High Court directed the state to provide records to substantiate the suspensions and scheduled further hearings

Karnataka HC Schedules Further Hearings on Bengaluru Stampede Case

The tragedy, during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations, claimed 11 lives and injured over 50. The court, hearing the state’s appeal against a tribunal’s order quashing the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, questioned if transfers would have sufficed. 

Four more officers were suspended after the day of incident. The state cited ongoing inquiries, but the tribunal noted the unnotified victory parade. Further hearings are scheduled.

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