The DMK moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to restrain TVK leaders, including Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, from making public statements or false accusations over the Karur stampede. The plea also claimed several accused later became Tamil Nadu ministers after the 2026 Assembly elections.
DMK moved the Supreme Courtseeking directions to restrain TVK leaders, including Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, from issuing public statements or making false accusations in connection with the Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed.
The plea, filed by DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi who has also sought to be impleaded in a pending case contended that several individuals initially chargesheeted in the matter are now ministers in the Tamil Nadu cabinet following the 2026 assembly elections.
The petition referred to a statement allegedly made on Thursday by Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna, in which he allegedly said there was a score to settle over the Karur incident and claimed that the previous DMK government had killed Karur people through the police.
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The DMK plea also sought a direction to the CBI to register a complaint and take action against Arjuna’s remarks, alleging that they were made to influence, tamper with witnesses, and impede the investigation.
Bharathi further claimed that Vijay was likely to travel to Karur on July 10 to meet the families of the stampede victims and hand over government benefits, including orders for compassionate appointment.
The plea said,
“When the investigation is still pending, any direct interaction with such material witnesses by persons connected with the subject matter of the investigation or by the political executive presently in office, particularly while distributing benefits arising out of the very incident under investigation, has the potential to give rise to an apprehension, whether real or perceived, regarding the fairness and independence of the investigative process,”
Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered the CBI to take over the probe into the Karur stampede, observing that the incident had shaken the national conscience and required a fair and impartial investigation.
In its order on a plea by actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) seeking an independent probe, the court also set up a three-member supervisory committee headed by former apex court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the CBI investigation.
Meanwhile, the police said the rally saw a turnout of 27,000 nearly three times the expected 10,000 and attributed the tragedy to a seven-hour delay by Vijay in reaching the venue.
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The Karur stampede took place during a large public rally organised by TVK, marking Vijay’s growing presence as a political force in Tamil Nadu. According to police accounts at the time:
- Vijay’s alleged delay in arriving at the venue led to prolonged crowd congestion
- There was an acute shortage of food, drinking water, and toilet facilities
- Overcrowding and fatigue reportedly caused the situation to spiral out of control
The tragedy resulted in 41 deaths, triggering widespread outrage and calls for accountability.
Vijay, however, categorically denied police allegations, calling them a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by the ruling DMK, a claim the government has rejected. He instead blamed the police for poor crowd management and failure to clear approach road bottlenecks.