Karur Stampede: Supreme Court to Hear CBI Probe Plea on Friday After Madras HC Rejects Petition

The Supreme Court will hear on Friday a plea seeking a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, which took place during a rally led by actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay on September 27.

Earlier, the Madras High Court had rejected a similar petition filed by BJP leader Uma Anandan, who demanded a central probe into the incident. The court also denied anticipatory bail to TVK district secretary N Sathish Kumar, one of the key organisers.

The High Court questioned the party's failure to manage the large crowd, pointing to reports of unruly behaviour and damage to public property. So far, nine FIRs have been filed against TVK members in connection with the incident, which left 41 people dead.

Uma Anandan had claimed that the state police investigation was incomplete and called for the CBI to take over, citing possible lapses. However, the court advised her to approach the Madurai bench, which has jurisdiction over the case.

In a related development, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin criticised both the BJP and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for visiting Karur only after the tragedy. Stalin accused the BJP of politicising the issue ahead of elections and condemned the AIADMK for backing such actions.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Anurag Thakur urged the Chief Minister to take responsibility and release a detailed report on the stampede investigation soon.

The Supreme Court's decision on the plea is expected to determine whether the case will move to the CBI or continue under state investigation.