The Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the tragic Karur stampede of September 27, which occurred during a rally organized by actor Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), resulting in 41 fatalities. The Court emphasised that the incident, which has deeply affected public conscience, implicates the fundamental rights of citizens and requires a fair and impartial investigation. The bench, comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice N.V. Anjaria, stated, “There cannot be any doubt that citizens are entitled to a fair investigation in such matters.”
To ensure the integrity and independence of the investigation, the Court constituted a three-member Supervisory Committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ajay Rastogi. Justice Rastogi is tasked with selecting two senior IPS officers of at least Inspector General rank, preferably from the Tamil Nadu cadre but not local to the state, to complete the Committee. The body will oversee the CBI’s investigation, issue directions as necessary, and review evidence collected. The CBI will also be required to submit monthly progress reports to the Committee.
The Court criticised the Madras High Court (Chennai Bench) for constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Tamil Nadu Police officers in a petition that originally sought only the formulation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political rallies. Observing that the Chennai Bench lacked the requisite jurisdiction, Karur falls under the Madurai Bench, the Supreme Court sought a report from the Registrar General of the Madras High Court and instructed the Chief Justice to reassign the petition to an appropriate bench.
During proceedings, the Supreme Court noted procedural irregularities, including how a petition for an SOP was treated as a criminal writ petition and how the Chennai Bench could entertain matters relating to Karur without authorisation from the Chief Justice. The bench also observed potential inconsistencies in the granting of rally permissions, questioning why TVK was allowed to hold the rally while AIADMK was denied permission at the same location. Additional concerns were raised regarding post-mortem and cremation procedures, highlighting that 30–40 post-mortems were conducted late at night, with cremations occurring at 4 a.m.
The interim order was passed on petitions filed by TVK and other parties, challenging the Madras High Court’s October 3 orders. The petitions objected to the SIT being composed exclusively of Tamil Nadu Police officers and sought an independent investigation under the supervision of a former Supreme Court judge. During the hearing, the Supreme Court also noted that some petitions were filed without the knowledge of certain parties and that the State of Tamil Nadu has been granted eight weeks to submit counter-affidavits.
The Apex Court clarified that the directions are prima facie observations, emphasizing that the order seeks to ensure a transparent and impartial probe, and does not preclude the State or other authorities from pursuing appropriate measures in accordance with law.
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