Madras High Court Orders SIT Investigation into Karur Stampede

The Madras High Court has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the tragic stampede that occurred during a public rally in Karur on September 27, which resulted in the deaths of 41 people. Justice N Senthilkumar, while addressing the case, criticized the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party and its leader, actor Vijay, for their lack of accountability and failure to manage the crowd effectively. The court noted that Vijay had "fled from the scene" after the incident, highlighting a significant absence of leadership and remorse from the party.

The court's remarks came during a hearing related to a petition seeking guidelines for regulating political events in Tamil Nadu to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Justice Senthilkumar expressed his condolences to the victims and condemned the police for their inaction, stating, "The police allowed everything to happen. You cannot turn a blind eye." He questioned why only two arrests had been made so far and emphasized that an FIR should have been registered immediately following the incident.

The SIT will be led by Inspector General Asra Garg, and the court has directed the Karur police to hand over all relevant case files to the team. The court also took note of inflammatory social media posts by TVK member Aadhav Arjuna, which could incite unrest, and ordered legal action against him.

In a related development, the principal bench of the Madras High Court declined an urgent plea from a BJP councillor seeking a CBI investigation into the stampede, directing the petitioner to approach the Madurai bench instead. The court has also issued an interim injunction prohibiting political parties from organizing public rallies on state and national highways until proper safety protocols are established.

Following the stampede, TVK has postponed Vijay's statewide public meetings for two weeks. The incident has sparked political blame, with Vijay alleging a conspiracy behind the tragedy, while Chief Minister MK Stalin accused opposition parties of exploiting the situation for political gain. The court's actions aim to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences of such disasters at public events.