NEW DELHI: In a major setback for the Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Karur stampede which claimed the lives of 41 people and left over 60 injured.
The stampede took place when actor-turned-politician and leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was addressing a rally on September 27.
The stampede has undoubtedly left an imprint on the minds of citizens across the country, the court observed.
A bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria constituted a three-member monitoring committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to oversee the investigation.
The committee will include two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from the Tamil Nadu cadre, who are not natives of the state.
"Given the nature of the incident and its bearing on the fundamental rights of citizens—and considering the impact it has had on the national conscience—a fair and impartial investigation is essential. Therefore, as an interim measure, we direct that the investigation be handed over to the CBI, to ensure the fair administration of justice. There can be no doubt that a fair investigation is a right guaranteed to every citizen," the bench stated in its verdict.
In its ruling, the top court issued a series of interim directions which includes transferring the FIR registered on September 27 at the Karur Town Police station to the CBI.
The court directed the CBI director to immediately appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation, along with other officers to assist in the process.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Karur Town Police Station, along with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the order of the Single Judge and the Enquiry Commission set up by the Chief Minister, have been instructed to immediately hand over all relevant materials—including the FIR, evidence (digital or otherwise), and other documents collected so far—to the CBI for further investigation.
The Supreme Court noted that the power to transfer a case to the CBI must be exercised cautiously and not routinely, especially not in situations where allegations are made against the local police without strong justification. However, in exceptional circumstances, such as when credibility needs to be restored, where an incident has national or international ramifications, or when it is essential to do complete justice and enforce fundamental rights, a CBI probe becomes necessary.
The court highlighted the political undertones of the case, pointing out that remarks made to the media by senior police officers, without due consideration for the gravity of the incident, may create doubt in the minds of the public regarding the impartiality and fairness of the investigation.
“The faith and trust of the general public in the process of investigation must be restored within the criminal justice system,” the bench stated. “One way to instill such trust is by ensuring that the investigation in the present case is completely impartial and independent.”
Before delivering the verdict, the court also noted that—based on the pleadings and allegations—it appears prima facie that the stampede occurred due to the inaction or failure of police personnel to take adequate precautionary measures. However, the state government has denied these allegations.
Senior police officers, through press conferences, have attempted to absolve subordinate officers of responsibility, claiming that appropriate actions were taken promptly. Yet, the court pointed out a notable inconsistency: police granted permission for the TVK political rally on a route connected to a National Highway, whereas a similar request by another political party in January 2025 was denied.
This discrepancy further underscores the need for an unbiased investigation, the court said, as it raises questions about the selective granting of permissions and potential lapses in administrative judgment.
The court went on to add that it was said that even after granting such permission, necessary steps for handling the public gathering were not taken.
"It is urged before us that if investigation would be carried out by the police personnel whose top officers have already come out before the media, making a statement that their sub-ordinate officers have taken adequate steps and are not at fault, how far such an investigation would be fair. Prima facie, this fact in itself creates a doubt in the minds of the general public about the independence and impartiality of the investigation," the court clarified.
Giving due respect to the victims and their family members, it added, in the said situation, caught in the doldrums are the families of the deceased, injured victims and kith and kin of those who lost their lives in this tragedy.
For them, the political tussle between the two sides is of little solace. "All they are asking is for an unbiased, independent and impartial investigation in their pursuit of justice. They have knocked the doors of the High Court as well as of this Court along with the public spirited persons, making a prayer for unbiased, uninfluenced investigation by a central agency," said the SC.
The order was pronounced after the bench, which had reserved the matter on Friday, heard a batch of petitions, including one by TVK general secretary (Election Strategy) Aadhav Arjuna seeking to quash the Madras High Court order constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.
Three other petitions sought a CBI inquiry. They were P Selvaraj of Emur Puthur, who lost his wife S Chandra, and P Panneerselvam of Alamarathupatti, who lost his nine-year-old son Prathik and G S Mani, Vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state legal cell.
The top court also stated in case an order of this Court is necessary at any stage for the smooth functioning of the Committee or the investigation by the CВІ, liberty is granted to move an application in that regard before this Court.
"Considering the ramifications of the incident and its gravity, we request the Chairman of the Committee to immediately organize its first meeting after taking over of the charge of the investigation by the CBI.
The officers of the CBI are directed to submit monthly progress report of investigation to the Committee which may be placed for consideration before this Court as and when required," said the SC.
It also in its verdict requested that the investigation may be completed as expeditiously as possible within the statutory time frame.
The writ petition which is pending before the High Court on the issue of formation of SOP/guidelines for political rallies shall be assigned by the Chief Justice to the Division Bench for further hearing.
