The Supreme Court of India on Monday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede that resulted in the deaths of 41 people.
The decision was made by a bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria, who appointed former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to head a committee tasked with monitoring the CBI investigation.
The Supreme Court had reserved its order on October 10, following a plea filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the political party of Tamil actor Vijay, along with other petitioners. On Tuesday, a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India agreed to hear a plea from BJP leader Uma Anandan, who challenged a high court order that had previously rejected a CBI probe into the stampede that occurred on September 27. Additionally, GS Mani, another BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, filed a petition seeking a CBI investigation into the incident.
The TVK’s plea demanded an independent investigation under the Supreme Court’s supervision, arguing that a fair and impartial probe could not be conducted solely by officers of the Tamil Nadu Police.
Also Read: SC to hear CBI probe plea into Karur stampede on Oct 10
The party objected to the high court’s decision to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) composed exclusively of Tamil Nadu Police officers, alleging the possibility of a pre-planned conspiracy by miscreants that led to the stampede.
The plea also criticised the high court for making scathing remarks against TVK and Vijay, claiming they abandoned the site after the incident and showed no remorse. According to earlier police statements, the rally in Karur saw an attendance of 27,000 people, nearly three times the anticipated 10,000 participants. The police attributed the tragedy to a seven-hour delay by Vijay in arriving at the venue.
Also Read: Vijay moves SC against HC order for SIT probe into Karur stampede
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