The Tamil Nadu government has formally requested the Supreme Court to lift its interim order of October 13, which directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the Karur stampede where 41 people were killed. Instead, the state is asking the court to permit an investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was constituted by the Madras High Court.
In a reply filed before the apex court, the state government argued that the local police and the state SIT are fully competent to conduct a "fair, thorough, and impartial investigation," and maintained that no exceptional circumstances exist to warrant intervention by a central agency.
The state government contended that the October 13 interim order — directing a CBI probe under the monitoring of a three-member supervisory committee— "virtually allowed the writ petition" even before the issue of its maintainability could be decided.
The stampede occurred on September 27 during a rally for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, claiming 41 lives and injuring over 60 people.
According to the state government, the allegation of negligence or dereliction of duty on the part of the Karur district administration and police authorities is "wholly baseless and devoid of merit."
The submission stated: "The records clearly establish that the district administration and police acted with utmost diligence, foresight, and compliance with all statutory and procedural safeguards."
It detailed the preparations made: "A comprehensive 'bandobust' plan involving 606 Police personnel and Home Guards was implemented, supervised by senior officers including the Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, and the Superintendent of Police, Karur District. The venue selection, access routes, medical preparedness, and traffic management plans were all structured in conformity with the National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines."
The Tamil Nadu government also alleged that the lead petitioner, GS Mani, has a history of filing politically motivated litigations, and claimed the present petition is merely another attempt to use the judicial process for political narratives.
The Supreme Court had originally ordered the CBI probe, stating that the incident had "shaken the national conscience" and deserved a fair and impartial investigation. That order was passed on a plea by actor-politician Vijay's TVK for an independent probe.
In its October order, the apex court criticised Justice N Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court for entertaining petitions on the incident, ordering an SIT probe, and making observations against TVK and its members without making them a party to the case. The court had suspended the High Court's directions for the appointment of the SIT and a one-man enquiry commission, asking Tamil Nadu to extend full cooperation to the officers of the central agency.
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