KARUR: Even as the Supreme Court is expected to pronounce its verdict on Monday on pleas seeking a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, a fresh controversy erupted on Sunday after videos surfaced online showing two petitioners and their family members denying any role in filing the petitions.
The apex court is hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by TVK general secretary (election strategy) Aadhav Arjuna, who sought to quash the Madras High Court order constituting an SIT to probe the September 27 stampede during Vijay’s rally. Two other petitions seeking a CBI inquiry were filed by P Selvaraj of Emur Puthur, who lost his wife S Chandra, and P Panneerselvam of Alamarathupatti, who lost his nine-year-old son Prathik.
In one of the viral videos, P Sharmila, mother of Prathik, alleged that Panneerselvam had abandoned the family when the child was six months old and had no contact with them for nearly eight years. Living with her mother and brothers, she said neither she nor her family had any knowledge of a CBI probe petition being filed in his name. “Panneerselvam did not even come to attend his son’s funeral,” Sharmila’s younger brother N Chandru (26) told TNIE on Sunday.
Another video features Selvaraj, who claimed he had been persuaded by an AIADMK functionary to sign documents under the pretext of securing a government job for his son. He said he later realised those signatures had been used to file a plea without his consent. TNIE’s attempts to contact Selvaraj were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson A Saravanan alleged on his ‘X’ handle that the AIADMK had orchestrated the petitions, claiming party functionaries had misled victims’ families. When contacted, advocate and AIADMK functionary VCK Balakrishnan told TNIE,“When I was the panchayat president, Selvaraj’s brother Murugesan was a ward member. Because of that connection, Murugesan approached me and requested help in filing a case in the Supreme Court, for knowing the real reason behind the death of his elder brother’s wife, Chandra. That is why the petition was filed on his [Selvaraj] behalf.”
“Now, due to pressure, Selvaraj has spoken on social media claiming that I deceived him by promising a job. When I got his signature, Murugesan was also present there,” he added.
