Madras High Court Reviews Multiple Petitions in Deadly Karur Stampede Case: Legal Developments and Investigation Updates

Forty-one people, including several women and children, lost their lives in the tragic Karur stampede incident that occurred on September 27.

The Madras High Court is scheduled to hear seven petitions related to the devastating Karur stampede tragedy today, exactly one month after the incident took place during a rally organized by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) political party.

Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan will preside over a Bench that will examine these cases. Among them is a public interest litigation seeking the establishment of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political rallies in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, the court will consider anticipatory bail applications filed by TVK's second-in-command Bussy Anand and Deputy General Secretary Nirmal Kumar, both of whom have been named in the First Information Report (FIR) connected to the tragedy.

Another petition before the court comes from TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna, who is seeking to quash the FIR registered against him regarding a controversial social media post. Law enforcement authorities have described the post as "inflammatory," claiming it suggested a youth-led revolution similar to those witnessed in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Aadhav has refuted these allegations, stating that his post, which he subsequently removed, was misinterpreted.

These hearings come after the Supreme Court's directive for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur incident. The apex court has established a three-member committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to oversee the investigation process.

Coinciding with these legal proceedings, TVK chief and actor Vijay has met with families of the stampede victims at a hotel in Mamallapuram, located near Chennai.

According to earlier police statements, the stampede occurred due to delays in Vijay's arrival, which reportedly caused a crowd surge and numerous safety violations. However, the TVK has denied these claims, instead suggesting that the tragedy resulted from a political conspiracy orchestrated by the ruling DMK party—an accusation that the DMK has vehemently denied.