Supreme Court Orders CBI Probe Into Karur Stampede

The Supreme Court on Monday (13 October) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the stampede that occurred during TVK chief Vijay’s rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, last month, reported NDTV.

A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria also formed a three-member committee, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi, to supervise the investigation. The committee will include two IPS officers, who may belong to the Tamil Nadu cadre but cannot be natives of the state.

The court questioned why a single judge at the Madras High Court’s Chennai bench—who had earlier rejected a CBI investigation—took cognisance of the case, calling the stampede an incident that “shook the nation.”

The tragedy on 27 September claimed 41 lives and injured at least 60 people.

Officials reported that nearly 30,000 attendees gathered at a venue designed for about 10,000. Security guidelines were ignored, and the absence of adequate food and water worsened the situation.

Vijay, scheduled to arrive at 12 pm, reached around 7 pm, which caused the crowd to swell further. His campaign bus reportedly triggered another surge, prompting people to climb trees, rooftops, and power lines.

Authorities cut electrical lines to prevent electrocutions. As people pushed and threw slippers at the bus, many fainted, leading police to carry out a lathi charge to control the crowd.

The day after the incident, Vijay announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for each victim’s family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured. He also suspended his statewide tour and spoke to victims’ families via video call on 7 October, consoling them and promising a visit to Karur soon.

Following the tragedy, police arrested TVK Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan for negligence. Cases have been filed against TVK General Secretary Bussy Anand and Joint General Secretary Nirmal Sekar.

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Also Read: A Tragedy In Karur: When Politics And Negligence Trample Human Lives