Karnataka govt moves HC challenging CAT order reinstating IPS officer suspended over stampede
Bengaluru, Jul 2 (PTI): The Karnataka government on Wednesday approached the High Court challenging the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) order reinstating Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was suspended following the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium here last month, which claimed 11 lives and injured 56 others.
The Tribunal, on July 1, quashed Vikash’s suspension, terming the state’s action as "mechanical" and lacking substantial grounds.
The Bengaluru bench of the tribunal comprising BK Shrivastava and Santosh Mehra held that the state failed to present convincing material to justify the suspension.
"The order has not been based on convincing materials… the officers have been suspended without sufficient material or grounds," the Tribunal said, directing the state to reinstate Vikash immediately.
In response, the state government filed a writ petition before the Karnataka High Court, contending that the CAT overstepped its jurisdiction by making determinations on the incident without the benefit of a full-fledged departmental inquiry.
It termed the Tribunal’s reasoning as "perverse" and inconsistent with established legal principles concerning suspension.
According to the government, substantial supporting material—including extracts from the Karnataka Police Manual and a detailed chronology of events from June 3 and 4—was submitted in a sealed cover to the Tribunal, which it alleged was not properly considered.
"Despite placing material on record justifying the suspension, the Tribunal failed to assess it in the right perspective," the state argued.
The plea also disputes the Tribunal’s interpretation of inquiries underway, stating that a magisterial probe and a one-man commission were in progress, and that the state had already taken disciplinary action based on preliminary findings.
A departmental inquiry, initiated at the direction of the central government, is reportedly at an advanced stage. The government claimed this development was communicated orally to the Tribunal on June 30 but was overlooked in the final judgment.
Additionally, the petition objects to the Tribunal’s remarks on four other officers—B Dayananda, Shekar H Tekkannavar, C Balakrishna, and AK Girish—who were also suspended following the stampede.
The government pointed out that these officers had not challenged their suspension, nor were they parties to the case before the Tribunal.
It called the Tribunal’s suggestion of reinstating them "highly irregular", arguing that such observations were made without examining individual roles, service records, or factual context.
The High Court is yet to schedule a hearing on the state’s plea.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
