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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea filed against the Madras high court’s decision to dismiss a petition that sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede during actor-politician Vijay’s rally.A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai has listed the matter to be heard on Friday, October 10, reported news agency ANI.
Madras high court on Friday refused to entertain an urgent mention made by BJP Chennai West Mambalam councillor Uma Anandhan seeking a CBI probe into the Karur stampede incident in which 41 people were killed during Vijay’s TVK road show.A vacation bench of Justice P Velmurugan and Justice G Arul Murugan observed that since the cause of action is in Karur district, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Madurai bench of the HC. Therefore, this bench cannot entertain this petition, the bench said.According to the petitioner, the TN DGP had already pre-determined the outcome of the incident without even undertaking an impartial investigation. In view of the statements made by the DGP in media interviews, no impartial or independent probe is possible now by the TN police, she said.”41 persons have been killed and several others injured in the incident, which was well within the jurisdiction of the state government to protect and prevent such incidents. The resultant failure to do so has caused miscarriage of justice, her counsel, MR Venkatesh said.The facts and circumstances of the incident make an exceptional and extraordinary case having large-scale ramifications necessitating a probe by CBI, he added.The NDA fact-finding team that visited Karur to inquire about the stampede, which claimed the lives of 41, concluded the incident was a “completely preventable tragedy caused by gross negligence and administrative failure.” The eight-member delegation comprising BJP MPs Hema Malini, Anurag Thakur and Tejasvi Surya, among others, said over 30,000 people gathered at TVK president Vijay’s rally venue, which could accommodate only 2,000 to 3,000. The panel visited Karur on Sept 30 and inspected the site of the stampede. They met survivors and families of the deceased.As per the report, the crowd waited since morning on September 27 in extreme heat and humidity on the road at Velusamypuram, the venue of the rally, while Vijay reached the spot only in the evening. The MPs said that when Vijay climbed onto a bus to greet the crowd, chaos broke out, leading to people being trampled, including children, while several people fainted.
