The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court seeking to set aside the October 13 order that directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the deadly stampede during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay’s rally in Karur. The October order temporarily stayed an inquiry by the state police’s SIT and a one-member judicial commission, and named a three-member supervisory committee to oversee the CBI probe.
Forty-one people lost their lives in the tragic incident. In its petition and accompanying affidavit, the state government said there are no “exceptional circumstances” warranting intervention by a central agency and contended that the Tamil Nadu Police and the SIT are fully capable of conducting a “fair, thorough and impartial” investigation.
The affidavit described the allegations of negligence against the Karur district administration and police as “wholly baseless and devoid of merit,” adding that records show authorities acted with “utmost diligence, foresight and compliance with all statutory and procedural safeguards.”
According to the state, more than 600 police personnel had been deployed for security at the event, senior officers were present on site, and decisions on venue choice, access routes, medical preparedness and traffic management were taken in conformity with National Disaster Management Authority guidelines.
The Tamil Nadu government also argued that the Supreme Court’s interim order has effectively decided the writ petition’s core issue even before considering maintainability, and asked the apex court to revisit and vacate the direction for a CBI probe.
The matter now awaits the court’s further consideration on whether the investigation should remain with the CBI or be returned to the state agencies that handled the initial inquiry.
