RCB stampede case: Suspended IPS officer’s lawyer questions govt claim that cops acted like ‘RCB’s servants’
BENGALURU: Taking an exception to the submission of the State Government’s counsel that cops acted as if they were ‘servants of RCB’, the senior counsel for the suspended IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash on Friday argued before the Karnataka High Court that he didn’t know that the said submission was of the counsel or the government.
Senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa made this submission before Justice S G Pandit and Justice T M Nadaf during the hearing of the petition filed by the state government questioning the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal. The order quashed the order passed by the state government suspending Vikash Kumar as Additional Commissioner of Police over the stampede that claimed 11 lives during RCB victory celebrations at M Chinnaswamy stadium.
On Thursday, the state government’s counsel argued that the cops acted as if they were servants of RCB and their actions embarrassed the government.
Chinnappa also disputed the submission of the counsel of the state government that the report of the intelligence was also part of the decision taken to suspend the police officers, saying that taking the ground of the intelligence report for suspension is unjustifiable because the head of the intelligence was also transferred. There was no material in the state government’s file to support the contention of the state, he argued.
Stating that what could have happened if bandobast was not arranged by the cops, he also argued that all substantial developments, including the suspension of the police officers, announcement of inquiry commission, etc., are all subsequent developments after the High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident. Further hearing adjourned to Monday.