The Andhra Pradesh government has moved 2019-batch IAS officer Vikas Marmat out of his post after Bengaluru police registered a criminal case against him and three others in connection with an alleged late-night confrontation at a pub. He had been serving as Project Director of the Kuppam Area Development Authority (KADA) and has now been directed to report to the General Administration Department (GAD) for further posting.
The transfer order was issued by the GAD on October 14, 2026. The Chittoor District Collector has been asked to arrange an in-charge officer for KADA until a new posting is made.
Incident at Cavore Bar and Restaurant
The case relates to an episode reported in the early hours of October 10, 2026, around 1:30 a.m., at Cavore Bar and Restaurant on Residency Road, under Cubbon Park police station limits in Bengaluru.
According to the report, a Central Crime Branch (CCB) Special Enquiry Wing team led by Inspector Arun Salunke was checking bars and restaurants in the Cubbon Park and Ashok Nagar areas. The inspections were ordered by the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner to verify patrons’ ages and stop liquor being served to minors.
The complaint says that when police asked some young women present to show identity documents, Marmat and his companions allegedly objected, argued, used abusive language, and either assaulted or threatened the police personnel while also obstructing them from doing their duty. Marmat was named as the primary accused.
FIR and charges
Cubbon Park police registered an FIR against Marmat and three co-accused: Abhay Uday Singh, a real estate businessman from Bengaluru; Nitish/Nitesh, who owns a competitive examination coaching centre and is originally from Bihar; and Roshan, described as a bouncer.
The case has been booked under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Police stated that Marmat and the others apologised the following morning. A video of the confrontation later spread on social media and drew wider attention to the matter.
Officer background and official response
Marmat is approximately 30 years old and originally from Rajasthan. He holds a B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and was posted as Project Director of KADA in July 2024.
Kuppam is the home constituency of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. After the incident and the circulation of the video, the Chief Minister sought a detailed report from the Chief Secretary. The opposition YSR Congress Party accused the government of trying to shield the officer.
The transfer appears to be the administration’s response to the controversy, while the Bengaluru investigation remains ongoing.
