Supreme Court Orders CBI Probe into Karur Stampede, Constitutes Panel to Oversee Investigation

SC has ordered CBI probe into the Karur stampede during actor-politician Vijay’s rally that killed 41 people. Court named 3-member panel led by ex-SC-Judge to oversee the probe. The decision overturns HC's SIT order and aims for accountability.

Supreme Court on Monday, October 13, ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede during actor-politician Vijay's rally that killed 41 people. The court has also appointed a three-member monitoring committee led by former Supreme Court Judge Ajay Rastogi to oversee the investigation. The decision overturns the High Court’s SIT order and aims for fairness and accountability.

BJP welcomes Supreme Court's order, blames DMK for negligence

BJP Chief Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathi praised the Supreme Court’s decision to hand over the Karur stampede case to the CBI, calling it a strong and justified move. He said the verdict was 'a severe blow to the Dravidian model DMK government', holding it responsible for the tragic loss of 41 lives due to what he described as “negligence and administrative failures.”

Thirupathi added that the Supreme Court’s direction for a CBI investigation under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge had 'exposed the DMK’s attempt to hide the truth and blame opposition parties'.

He further stated that the ruling was 'a fitting response to the DMK’s oppressive and fascist governance style', emphasising that justice must prevail for the victims and their families.

Karur stampede

On September 27, at a political rally organized by Vijay's party TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) in Veluswamypuram, Karur district, a crowd crush broke out that resulted in 41 deaths and many injuries. 

Large crowds had gathered well before Vijay's arrival, which was delayed by several hours. Some reports said security guidelines and safety measures were violated. 

Given the high number of casualties and public uproar, pleas were filed in courts demanding a central investigation and accountability for all involved parties.

High Court orders and conflicting judgments

Earlier, on October 3, the Madras High Court ordered that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted, led by the Tamil Nadu police, to probe into the stampede.  In that order, the High Court also made critical remarks about TVK leaders, suggesting they abandoned the public and failed to help the victims during the tragedy.

However, another bench of the High Court (the Madurai bench) had declined to transfer the investigation to the CBI, creating inconsistent stances.

TVK, through its General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna, challenged the SIT order and the adverse observations made by the High Court against Vijay and the party.

Supreme Court's decision: CBI probe and monitoring panel

On October 13, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court (Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria) delivered its decision. The Supreme Court has directed that the entire case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fair, impartial probe.

The bench explicitly questioned the conflicting orders issued by different High Court benches regarding the Karur case and held that a central investigation was necessary in light of the gravity of the incident.

Three-member monitoring committee

To oversee the investigation and ensure impartiality, the Supreme Court set up a three-member committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ajay Rastogi. The committee will continuously monitor the CBI’s work in the case and ensure accountability.

The order effectively overturns the High Court’s SIT approach in favor of a central agency, strengthening transparency in investigation.

Controversies after the stampede

Two families (from Dalit communities) have said that petitions in their names seeking a CBI probe were filed without their knowledge. Some political leaders have dismissed the one-member state inquiry commission (headed by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan) as ineffective and pressed for a CBI probe.

The Supreme Court also raised questions in its hearing about how postmortems were conducted late at night and bodies cremated early in the morning, among other procedural concerns.

(With ANI inputs)