Supreme Court Panel Begins Critical On-Site Investigation of Fatal Karur Stampede: Examining Administration's Response and Safety Protocols

The panel has explicitly stated that "no external influence will be accepted in the probe" as they prepare for their detailed assessment.

New Delhi:

A committee appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the Central Bureau of Investigation's inquiry into the Karur stampede tragedy will commence its on-site inspection on December 1, according to sources who spoke with NDTV. The committee, headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi, a retired Supreme Court judge, has scheduled a three-day examination of the incident location and has developed a comprehensive inspection checklist.

Sources indicate that the panel will thoroughly examine all relevant areas at the incident site, reconstructing the chain of events that culminated in the deadly stampede during the political rally organized by actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The catastrophic incident, which occurred on October 12, resulted in 41 fatalities and injured more than 60 individuals.

In preparation for their visit, the committee has formulated specific questions for the Karur district administration. These inquiries focus on the authorization process for the political gathering, the effectiveness of crowd management strategies implemented, and the administration's detailed timeline of how the stampede situation developed.

The panel will require explanations regarding protocol adherence, safety evaluation procedures conducted prior to the event, and the activation of emergency response mechanisms once the crowd surge began.

The committee has firmly cautioned the CBI that external interference in the investigation will not be tolerated.

"Justice for victims is the core objective," the panel has emphasized.

The committee conducted a meeting with CBI officers last week. Additionally, the CBI submitted its initial status report to the panel, outlining the investigation approach and timeline. Sources informed NDTV that the committee seeks information from local administration officials and government personnel who were present at the event site.

The Supreme Court issued the directive for the CBI investigation on October 12, simultaneously establishing the supervisory committee. The bench also criticized the Madras High Court's management of the case, observing that the magnitude of the tragedy necessitated thorough examination with national implications.

The committee - chaired by Justice Rastogi and including two senior officers, Sumit Saran (currently on deputation with the BSF) and Sonal V Mishra (IG, Provisioning, CRPF, New Delhi) - has already initiated preliminary groundwork.