The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea filed by Tamil actor Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, challenging the Madras High Court order that constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives.
The hearing is scheduled for Friday.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions made by a lawyer representing TVK, seeking an urgent listing of the petition filed through the party’s secretary, Aadhav Arjuna.
The CJI agreed to hear TVK’s plea on October 10, along with a similar petition filed by BJP leader Uma Anandan, who has also challenged the high court’s decision rejecting a CBI investigation into the tragic incident.
TVK Seeks Independent Probe Under SC Supervision
In its plea, TVK has called for an independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, arguing that a fair and impartial probe cannot be ensured if the inquiry is conducted solely by officers of the Tamil Nadu Police. The party has expressed concerns that the ongoing state-level investigation may lack transparency and objectivity.
The stampede at Karur on September 27 resulted in 41 deaths and injuries to over 60 people, turning what was intended as a large-scale public gathering into a devastating tragedy.
According to police reports, the event saw a crowd of nearly 27,000 attendees — almost three times the expected turnout of 10,000. Officials also pointed to a seven-hour delay in Vijay’s arrival at the venue as one of the contributing factors to the chaos that ensued.
Court Order Under Challenge
Earlier, the Madras High Court had ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident, rejecting demands for a CBI inquiry. The court emphasized that a state-level SIT would be better equipped to investigate swiftly and coordinate with local authorities.
However, both TVK and BJP’s Uma Anandan have questioned the impartiality of such a probe, leading to the present petitions before the apex court.
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