Supreme Court Questions Madras High Court’s SIT Probe Order in Karur Stampede Case

On October 11, 2025 (Friday), the Supreme Court (SC) of India raised serious questions about the Madras High Court’s (HC’s) decision to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives during a political event organized by actor-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice NV Anjaria said that the High Court’s order appeared to go beyond what was originally sought in the petition. During the hearing, Justice Maheshwari asked, “The plea before the High Court was only to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political rallies. How did it turn into an order for an SIT probe?”

The top Court also noted that two different benches of the Madras HC had passed conflicting directions, with one in Madurai refusing to order a CBI investigation, and the other, a single-judge bench in Chennai, went ahead and formed the SIT. Considering this, Justice Maheshwari remarked, “We are unable to understand how this order was passed.” The bench further questioned how post-mortems for all 41 victims were conducted within a few hours on the night of the tragedy, asking, “How many tables were there for so many autopsies?” The judges also sought clarification from the Tamil Nadu government on why TVK’s rally was permitted when another political party’s request for the same venue had been denied.

Appearing for TVK, Senior Advocate Gopal Subramanium argued that the HC had made adverse comments about Vijay and his party without even giving them a chance to respond. He contended that the SIT, comprising state police officers, lacked independence and suggested that the probe be monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge instead. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government defended the SIT, stating it was constituted under the High Court’s supervision and that its officers were carrying out a fair investigation.

After hearing the contentions, the Supreme Court has reserved its order on TVK’s plea challenging the SIT probe, while also keeping open the possibility of a CBI-monitored investigation based on petitions filed by some of the victims’ families. As the nation awaits the top court’s decision, the focus remains on ensuring accountability and transparency in investigating one of Tamil Nadu’s most tragic political events in recent years.