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Karur stampede: Madras HC rejects petition for CBI probe
The bench also dismissed a petition that had sought directions to the state police to prohibit or restrict any further rally by actor turned politician Vijay and his political party TVK
The Madras High Court on Friday rejected a batch of petitions that had sought a court-monitored probe, or a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Karur stampede during a Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) rally that killed at least 39 people last Saturday.
Justices M Dhandapani and Justice M Jothiraman of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court also dismissed a petition that had sought directions to the state police to prohibit or restrict any further rally by actor turned politician Vijay and his political party TVK.
The bench noted that the ongoing investigation by a state constituted enquiry commission in its nascent stage and it did not see it fit to interfere at the present stage.
The court also disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a TVK member that demanded standard operating procedures (SOPs), noting that the principal bench had already directed the government to frame them. The judges gave the petitioners liberty to file impleading petitions before the principal bench.
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It recorded the state government’s submission that it will not grant any permissions for political rallies in non-designated places until it frames SOPs for such events. The SOPs, additional advocate general J Ravindran told the Court, were already being finalised by the government.
The same bench meanwhile, issued a notice to the state government on a plea that sought higher compensation for victims of the stampede and directed it to file a response.
On September 27, a political rally organised by TVK witnessed massive crowds resulting in a stampede which led to the deaths of 40 people including women and children.
