New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an inquiry into the Karur stampede incident. A bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice N.V. Anjaria delivered the verdict on petitions filed by actor Vijay’s party, TVK, and BJP leader Uma Anandan, seeking a CBI investigation. Earlier, the Madras High Court had handed over the probe to a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The bench stated that a three-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi will supervise the investigation. The committee will include two IPS officers not below the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP). The court had reserved its judgment on October 10 after the hearing.
During the proceedings, the bench questioned the Tamil Nadu government on how permission was granted for TVK’s rally on September 27, when the AIADMK had been denied permission for a rally in Karur earlier, citing limited space.
The Court also sought clarification on how the Madras High Court ordered an SIT probe when the case was under the jurisdiction of the Madurai Bench.
It is worth recalling that 41 people lost their lives and over 100 were injured in the stampede that occurred during actor Vijay’s rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on September 27.
The Court has directed CBI officials to submit monthly progress reports before the committee. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be presented to the bench for review. The Court also asked the Registrar General to clarify how the matter was listed as a criminal petition.
