Supreme Court says stampede in Karur shook national conscience, orders probe by CBI

The Supreme Court on Monday, 13 October, directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the 27 September Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives, saying the incident has shaken the national conscience and deserves a fair and impartial investigation.

A bench comprising justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria appointed former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to head a committee to monitor the investigation.

The order follows a plea filed by Tamil actor Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and others, seeking an independent probe under the supervision of the apex court. The plea argued that a fair and impartial investigation would not be possible if conducted solely by Tamil Nadu Police officers. TVK also raised concerns over a possible premeditated conspiracy that may have contributed to the stampede.

The petition had criticised the high court for forming a special investigation team (SIT) exclusively with state police officers and for making adverse remarks against the actor-politician and his party, suggesting they left the venue without expressing remorse.

The SC judges said the incident has wide ramifications with respect to the life of the citizens, and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kith and kin is of utmost importance.

The apex court noted the political undertone of the case and that "'without having regard to the gravity of the incident", comments have been made before the media by the top officers of the police department, which may create doubt in the minds of the citizenry on impartiality and fair investigation.

"The faith and trust of the general public in the process of investigation must be restored in the criminal justice system, and one way to instil such trust is by ensuring that the investigation in the present case is completely impartial, independent and unbiased," the court said.

The Supreme Court bench, which had reserved its verdict on 10 October, also agreed to hear BJP leader Uma Anandan’s plea challenging the high court’s refusal to order a CBI probe. Another BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, G.S. Mani, has similarly sought a central investigation.

Earlier reports indicated that the rally drew approximately 27,000 attendees, nearly three times the expected 10,000, and police pointed to a seven-hour delay by Vijay in arriving at the venue as a contributing factor to the tragedy.

The Supreme Court’s directive marks a significant step towards an independent investigation into the incident, as families of the victims and political parties await accountability for the disaster.

With PTI inputs