The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea challenging the Madras High Court’s decision to dismiss a petition seeking a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede that occurred during a public rally organised by the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam chief and actor Vijay.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai has listed the matter for hearing on Friday, October 10.
A division bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justice P. Velmurugan and Justice G. Arul Murugan, refused to entertain the plea filed by BJP councillor Uma Anandhan from Chennai’s West Mambalam. The court held that the Madurai bench of the High Court had jurisdiction over the matter since the incident took place in Karur district, which falls under its territorial purview.
In its order, the bench also issued an interim injunction preventing political parties from conducting rallies or public events on state and national highways until a detailed Standard Operating Procedure is framed for such gatherings.
SIT Formed To Investigate The Tragedy
Even as the plea for a CBI inquiry was dismissed, the High Court ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the tragic incident. The team will be headed by Inspector-General of Police (North) Asra Garg, with directions to the Karur police to hand over all related documents immediately.
Meanwhile, in a separate hearing on a related petition filed by P.H. Dinesh of Villivakkam, Justice Senthilkumar expressed sorrow over the deaths and called the incident “painful to watch.” After reviewing video footage, the judge remarked, “Watching the videos is painful.”
Justice Senthilkumar also criticised the authorities for their slow response, noting that only two arrests had been made so far. “You have permitted everything to happen. The police cannot turn a blind eye,” he observed, urging law enforcement agencies to act proactively to prevent such tragedies.
Stampede Claimed Several Lives
The Karur stampede occurred on September 27 during a public event addressed by Vijay, who recently launched his political outfit, Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam. The rally had drawn a massive crowd, and initial investigations indicated serious lapses in crowd management and security arrangements.
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