The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the Karur stampede, officials said on Sunday.
The tragedy, which occurred during a political rally organised by actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), left 41 people dead.
A special team of the CBI has already visited the site at Velusamypuram in Karur, Tamil Nadu, the officials added.
Forty-one people lost their lives and over 60 injured in the stampede that occurred at the TVK meeting addressed by Vijay on September 27.
The CBI has re-registered the FIR of the state police and also informed the local court about the development, following procedure, they said.
The case was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by TVK for an independent probe.
The apex court directed the director of CBI to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation and appoint some other officers for the assistance of the officer.
The court also formed a three-member supervisory panel, led by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi, to oversee the CBI investigation.
A bench, comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria, said the September 27 stampede has left an imprint in the minds of citizens throughout the country.
“It has wide ramifications with respect to the life of the citizens, and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kith and kin is of utmost importance,” the court said.
Highlighting the political aspects of the case, the court said top police officers had spoken to the media "without having regard for the gravity of the incident," potentially creating doubts among citizens about the fairness and impartiality of the investigation.
"The faith and trust of the general public in the process of investigation must be restored in the criminal justice system, and one way to instil such trust is by ensuring that the investigation in the present case is completely impartial, independent and unbiased.
"Looking to the fact that the issue involved certainly has a bearing on the fundamental rights of the citizens, the incident, which has shaken the national conscience, deserves fair and impartial investigation. There cannot be any doubt that fair investigation is the right of a citizen," the bench said.
(With inputs from PTI)
