Today, On 12th December, The Supreme Court has refused to modify its earlier order suspending the Enquiry Commission probing the Karur stampede case. The Court said the suspension will continue as directed, rejecting calls for reconsideration and stressing judicial consistency and fairness.
The Supreme Court declined the Tamil Nadu government’s request to modify its ruling that had suspended a one-man inquiry commission and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) regarding the Karur stampede, which resulted in the deaths of 41 individuals.
The court emphasized,
“We want everything to be fair and impartial.”
A bench consisting of Justices J.K. Maheswari and Vijay Bishnoi expressed concerns over the report submitted by the registrar general of the Madras High Court, stating,
“There is something wrong going on in the high court. This is not a right thing that is happening in the high court.”
Earlier, On October 13, the Supreme Court directed a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede that took place during a rally for actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on September 27.
The court deemed the incident disturbing enough to merit a fair and impartial probe.
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In response to a request from TVK for an independent investigation, the court established a three-member supervisory committee led by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to oversee the CBI inquiry, while suspending plans for the formation of an SIT and a one-man inquiry commission.
Furthermore, the court criticized Justice N. Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court for addressing petitions concerning the incident and initiating an SIT investigation without including the TVK and its members in the proceedings.
During the recent hearing, senior advocate P. Wilson, representing the Tamil Nadu government, argued that the state’s commission would not obstruct the CBI inquiry and would focus solely on providing recommendations to avert similar incidents in the future.
The bench urged Wilson to review the commission’s appointment notification, reiterating,
“We want everything to be fair and impartial.”
The bench chose not to issue a notice regarding the plea or revoke its interim order from October 13.
Justice Maheshwari mentioned that they had reviewed the registrar general’s report, raising concerns about how a writ petition seeking Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for rallies was mistakenly classified as a criminal writ petition.
Wilson and senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, also representing the state, requested a copy of this report to prepare their response.
The Supreme Court has now issued a notice regarding a new plea from one K.K. Ramesh concerning the Karur stampede and instructed both parties to complete their submissions, scheduling the case for final hearings.
Earlier, On October 30, the Court directed the family of a victim from the stampede to approach the CBI with claims that they had been threatened by state officials.
The bench remarked,
“It is contended that the petitioner has been threatened and cajoled by the officials of the State. However, in this regard, it suffices to say that the petitioner may apply to the Central Bureau of Investigation.”
Thus far, the top court has affirmed the necessity of a CBI investigation into the incident, which it acknowledged has left a lasting impression on the public.
The Court recognized the serious implications of the stampede for citizens’ lives and stressed that safeguarding the fundamental rights of the affected families is paramount.
It also highlighted the political dimension of the case, noting that top police officials made remarks to the media that could potentially undermine trust in the impartiality of the investigation, given the incident’s severity.
Police had reported that the rally attracted approximately 27,000 attendees, nearly tripling the expected crowd of 10,000, and attributed the tragedy to a seven-hour delay in Vijay’s arrival at the venue.
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