The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has approached the Supreme Court seeking to be made a party in the ongoing proceedings related to the Karur stampede case. The party has urged the Court to restrain Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and other Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leaders from making public statements about the ongoing CBI investigation, arguing that such remarks could affect the fairness of the probe.
Background
The case relates to the September 27, 2025 stampede during a TVK public rally in Karur, in which 41 people lost their lives and 142 others were injured. Following earlier proceedings, the Supreme Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), with the probe being supervised by a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi.
The impleadment application has been filed by DMK Organising Secretary R.S. Bharathi.
In the plea, Bharathi sought directions restraining Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Minister Aadhav Arjuna, and other persons connected with the case from making public comments on the merits of the pending investigation.
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The application also requests that any government benefits, compassionate appointments, or other assistance proposed for the families of the deceased and injured victims be distributed only under safeguards approved by the Supreme Court while the CBI investigation continues.
The plea clarifies that the DMK has no objection to welfare measures for the victims but argues that many of the beneficiaries are also material witnesses in the investigation.
The application refers to a speech allegedly delivered by Minister Aadhav Arjuna on July 2, claiming that the remarks could influence the ongoing investigation.
The plea states, “In these exceptional circumstances, where the investigation is still pending, any direct interaction with such material witnesses... has the potential to give rise to an apprehension, whether real or perceived, regarding the fairness and independence of the investigative process.”
It has also sought a direction to the CBI to examine the alleged public statements made by the Minister in accordance with law.
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