In a strong intervention on Monday, the Supreme Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede, which occurred during actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally on September 27, claiming 41 lives. The bench of Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice N.V. Anjaria termed the tragedy “a matter that has shaken the national conscience,” stressing the need for a “fair and impartial investigation.”
The Court’s order came during hearings on petitions filed by TVK and others challenging the Madras High Court’s earlier decision to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising Tamil Nadu Police officers.
Background
The tragedy unfolded at a TVK public rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, where a sudden rush of people led to a deadly stampede. Initial reports pointed to lapses in crowd control and mismanagement by local authorities. Following public outrage, the Madras High Court’s Chennai Bench had constituted a Special Investigation Team of state police officials on October 3, a move that TVK and others called “biased and procedurally flawed.”
Petitioners before the Supreme Court argued that the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction, as the incident occurred within the Madurai Bench’s territory. They also questioned the fairness of a state-led SIT, claiming that the inquiry could be influenced by local political pressures.
Court’s Observations
The apex court came down heavily on the Madras High Court, calling its approach “procedurally unsustainable.” The bench observed that the Chennai Bench “could not have entertained the matter” related to the Karur tragedy without authorisation from the Chief Justice, as the case belonged to Madurai’s jurisdiction.
“The issues have a bearing on the fundamental rights of citizens, and the incident, which has shaken the national conscience, deserves a fair and impartial investigation,” the bench remarked.
To ensure transparency, the Supreme Court formed a three-member Supervisory Committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, who will monitor the CBI’s work. He has been asked to select two senior IPS officers-not natives of Tamil Nadu but possibly from the same cadre-to assist him. The Committee can review CBI evidence, issue directions, and will receive monthly reports from the agency.
The Court also sought an explanation from the Madras High Court Registrar General on how a petition originally seeking a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political rallies was converted into a criminal writ petition. It directed the Chief Justice of the High Court to reassign the SOP-related case to another bench.
During the hearing, Justice Maheshwari questioned inconsistencies surrounding permissions for rallies. “When AIADMK was denied permission citing narrow lanes, how was TVK allowed to hold one there?” he asked. The bench also noted disturbing details about how postmortems of nearly 40 victims were conducted at midnight and cremations held before dawn, indicating a possible attempt to rush procedures.
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Decision
As an interim measure, the Supreme Court directed that the investigation be handed over to the CBI, emphasising that “fairness and public confidence” were paramount. It clarified that this decision was based on prima facie findings and does not pre-empt the final outcome.
The State of Tamil Nadu has been given eight weeks to file its counter-affidavit. Meanwhile, the Court said it will take note of the state’s claim that certain petitions were filed “without the knowledge” of the original petitioners.
The bench made it clear that the supervisory committee led by Justice Rastogi will have full liberty to oversee the progress of the CBI probe and ensure that no procedural lapses occur. With this, the matter has taken a significant turn-shifting the investigation from state authorities to the country’s top investigative agency.
Case: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) v. P.H. Dinesh & Others and connected petitions
Case Numbers:
- Diary No. 58048/2025 (TVK v. P.H. Dinesh & Ors.)
- Diary No. 57588/2025 (Panneerselvam Pitchaimuthu v. Union of India & Ors.)
- W.P. (Crl.) No. 412/2025 (S. Prabakaran v. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors.)
- W.P. (Crl.) No. 413/2025 (Selvaraj P.A. v. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors.)
- SLP (Crl.) No. 16081/2025 (G.S. Mani v. Government of Tamil Nadu & Ors.)
Date of Order: October 13, 2025