The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday appointed retired High Court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to head the commission investigating the stampede at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, where at least 39 people, including nine children, lost their lives and more than 50 were injured on Saturday night. Follow live updates on Karur stampede
Police sources said the rally was scheduled for 3 pm, but Vijay arrived at 7.30 pm. The organisers had sought permission for a crowd of around 10,000, but nearly 27,000 people turned up, far exceeding expectations, according to DGP in-charge of Tamil Nadu, G Venkatraman. The venue was also reported to have inadequate food and water supplies for the large gathering, which had been waiting for hours under the sun.
The state government announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of those who died. Chief minister MK Stalin also deputed ministers, including Ma Subramanian, to oversee medical treatment and relief measures. In addition, TVK chief Vijay announced financial assistance of ₹20 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh to the injured.
Who is Justice Aruna Jagadeesan?
Justice Aruna Jagadeesan (retired) served as a puisne judge at the Madras High Court from 2009 until her retirement in March 2015.
{{/usCountry}}Justice Aruna Jagadeesan (retired) served as a puisne judge at the Madras High Court from 2009 until her retirement in March 2015.
{{/usCountry}}She headed the commission that probed the 2018 anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi, where police firing left 13 people dead and over 100 injured. Her report recommended action against 17 police officials, including IPS officers. The protests, which lasted nearly 100 days, were triggered by environmental and health concerns over the Sterlite Copper plant.
According to NDTV, she was also part of a High Court bench that in February 2015 gave a clean chit to Chennai Police in the alleged fake encounter at Velachery, where five men suspected of bank robbery were killed. The bench dismissed pleas for a CBI probe, ruling that the police action was justified.
Justice Jagadeesan additionally probed wealth-related cases involving former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and her associates, NDTV report added.
According to Oneindia, she presided over the appeal in the 2002 custodial death of Karuppi, a Dalit woman, where she overturned the lower court’s conviction and acquitted eight policemen, citing lack of evidence.
Her judicial career has been marked by both high-profile inquiries and controversial rulings, which have drawn criticism from legal activists and human rights groups.