The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede case that claimed 41 lives and appointed a three-member panel headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi to oversee the investigation.
The directive came days after the court heard petitions filed by Tamil actor Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and others seeking an independent probe. The order was delivered by a bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria.
In its plea, TVK had sought a probe monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge, while Tamil Nadu BJP leader GS Mani called for the investigation to be handed over to the CBI. The party also requested the expunging of adverse remarks made against it and its leaders by the Madras High Court.
Last week, the top court had reserved its verdict on the pleas challenging the Madras High Court’s order, which directed the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the tragedy. The bench had heard detailed arguments from senior counsels representing the victims, the state government, and the petitioners.
Earlier, a bench led by the Chief Justice of India had also agreed to hear a plea filed by BJP leader Uma Anandan, who had challenged the Madras High Court’s refusal to order a CBI investigation into the September 27 incident.
In its plea, the TVK argued that a fair and impartial inquiry “would not be possible if conducted solely by officers of the Tamil Nadu Police.” The party also alleged “a pre-planned conspiracy by some miscreants” behind the stampede, questioning the objectivity of a state-led SIT.
The petition took exception to the Madras High Court’s scathing remarks against the party and actor-politician Vijay, claiming they “abandoned the place after the incident and did not express any remorse.”
According to the police, nearly 27,000 people attended Vijay’s rally, almost three times the permitted crowd size of 10,000. Officials attributed the tragedy partly to a seven-hour delay in the actor’s arrival, which they said caused unrest among the waiting crowd.
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