SC Orders CBI Probe into Karur Stampede at Vijay’s Political Rally Justice Ajay Rastogi (Retd.) to Head Supervisory Committee

A tragic stampede at Velusamypuram, Karur District, Tamil Nadu on 27 September 2025 during a political rally of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor Thiru Vijay resulted in 41 deaths and over 100 injuries. The police registered FIR No. 855/2025 under various provisions of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992. The State Government announced a one-member Enquiry Commission headed by retired High Court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeeshan.

Multiple writ petitions were filed before the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) by victims’ families and public-spirited citizens seeking a CBI investigation and formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for large political gatherings. While a Division Bench at Madurai refused to transfer the investigation to the CBI, finding no fault in the local police probe, a Single Judge at the Principal Seat (Chennai), acting suo motu in an unrelated petition, directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), causing procedural conflict within the High Court itself.

Aggrieved parties, including TVK, victims’ families, and activists, approached the Supreme Court through several Special Leave Petitions and writs under Article 32.

Issue Raised: Whether the SC should intervene to ensure a fair, independent, and impartial investigation into the Karur stampede tragedy, amid conflicting Madras High Court orders and doubts over the neutrality of the local police inquiry.

SC Decided: The Court found prima facie justification to transfer the probe from Tamil Nadu Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Court noted that the Single Judge had exceeded jurisdiction by expanding the scope of a writ petition and constituting an SIT despite the same issue being pending before a Division Bench of the Madurai Bench. It held that such multiplicity of proceedings “indicated lack of judicial propriety.” The Bench emphasized that the High Court’s approach undermined the unity of judicial process and ignored the Chief Justice’s role in allocating jurisdiction between benches.

Applying the principles laid down in State of West Bengal v. Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (2010), the Court reiterated that while transfer of investigation to CBI is an exceptional remedy, it is warranted when the credibility of the investigation is under serious doubt and the incident affects the fundamental rights of citizens. The Court observed that given the scale of casualties, political overtones, and premature exoneration by senior police officials, a central probe was necessary to restore public confidence.

Hence, the Apex Court transferred the FIR to the CBI and directed its Director to appoint a senior officer to lead the investigation. It further constituted a three-member Supervisory Committee headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi (Retd.), assisted by two IPS officers to monitor the probe’s progress and ensure transparency. The Committee was empowered to issue directions, review evidence, and submit progress reports to the Court. The ongoing SIT and one-member Enquiry Commission were kept in abeyance, and the State Government was directed to extend full logistical support to the CBI.

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