KARUR: The Supreme Court order directing the CBI to investigate the Karur stampede evoked mixed response from the family members of the victims on Monday.
Some of the family members that TNIE spoke to said that they were unsure what difference it would make whether the investigation was conducted by the SIT or the CBI. “None of those who died in the stampede is going to come back because of this investigation,” they said.
“If those with responsibility and power had discharged their duty in the right manner, I would not have lost my child,” said V Vimal, who lost his one-and-a-half-year-old son, V Dhuru Vishnu, in the tragedy.
Murugesan, a resident of Othapatti Colony in Paganatham (Karur), who lost his only son, M Thamaraikannan – an MA English, said he has no idea of who is going to probe – SIT or CBI.
“Despite his qualification, he (Thamaraikannan) couldn’t find a suitable job and was forced to take up contract work in the construction field. He was supporting his younger sister’s education and taking care of his pregnant wife. Now he is gone. We are not bothered about which agency investigates; we are worried about our future,” Murugesan said.
Prabakaran, elder brother of J Gokulapriya who died in the stampede, declined to comment on the Supreme Court order. “Whether it is SIT or CBI, will it bring my sister back,” he asked.
Gokulapriya (30) was accompanied by her husband Jayaprakash, from Vellakoil in Tiruppur district, and their five-year-old daughter, who escaped unhurt, when the tragedy struck.
However, some family members expressed hope that a CBI inquiry might bring out the truth, especially if there was any conspiracy behind the incident.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK’s X handle has posted a video statement of Karur’s S Prabakaran, one of the petitioners who had sought a CBI probe into the incident. In the clip, S Prabakaran is heard saying that a DMK union secretary (Raghunathan) had contacted him and tried to persuade him to withdraw the case by offering money and a job, speaking in a threatening tone. But S Prabakaran refused the offer.
He also says in the clip that some media outlets had wrongly reported that he has withdrawn the case. Through the video message, S Prabakaran also appealed to authorities for protection for himself and his mother. He adds if anything untoward happens, the DMK government must take full responsibility.
