The political outfit launched by Tamil actor Vijay, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging a recent Madras High Court order that appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) made up of Tamil Nadu police officers to investigate the Karur stampede incident.
The petition, filed by TVK’s general secretary Aadhav Arjuna, argues that the High Court’s decision undermines impartiality and calls for the probe to be monitored directly by the Supreme Court to ensure fairness and transparency.
In its plea, the party has also objected to the strong criticism leveled by the High Court against actor Vijay and the party, which claimed they left the event site soon after the tragedy and failed to show remorse. TVK contends that these remarks were unjust since neither the party nor Vijay was made a party to the original proceedings.
The tragic incident occurred on September 27, when a massive crowd gathered for a TVK event in Karur, resulting in a stampede that claimed 41 lives.
The Madras High Court, while ordering the SIT probe, had expressed concern over the party’s handling of the situation and noted the absence of a public statement from TVK acknowledging or expressing regret for the incident.
The matter will now be heard by a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai on Friday, alongside another petition seeking a CBI investigation into the tragedy.