Supreme Court – Karur Stampede Case Transferred to CBI for Independent Probe
Case Name: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam v. P.H. Dinesh & Ors.
Citation: SLP (Crl.) Diary No. 58048 of 2025 with connected matters – W.P. (Crl.) Nos. 412–413 of 2025
Date of Judgment/Order: 13 October 2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Hon’ble Mr. Justice N.V. Anjaria
Held: The Supreme Court of India transferred the investigation into the Karur stampede incident of 27 September 2025 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), observing that public confidence and impartiality of investigation demanded central oversight. The Court also constituted a three-member Supervisory Committee headed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ajay Rastogi (Retd.), assisted by two senior IPS officers, to monitor the probe and ensure transparency. It suspended the State-constituted SIT and the one-member Enquiry Commission formed by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Summary: The tragic Karur stampede in Tamil Nadu claimed 41 lives and injured over 100 persons during a political rally organized by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), a regional party led by actor-politician Thiru Vijay. Several writ petitions were filed before the Madras High Court—both at the Principal Bench and the Madurai Bench—seeking CBI investigation, compensation to victims, and the formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for political rallies and public gatherings.
The Supreme Court noted procedural irregularities and overlapping jurisdiction between the Single Bench and Division Bench of the High Court. It observed that while the Division Bench at Madurai had refused CBI transfer citing absence of flaws in the police probe, a Single Judge at Chennai had, suo motu, ordered formation of a State SIT—without jurisdiction and without impleading necessary parties.
The Court found this duality undesirable, noting that “extraordinary situations do not justify judicial overreach without foundation in pleadings.” Referring to State of West Bengal v. Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (2010) 3 SCC 517, the Bench reiterated that CBI investigations must be ordered sparingly and only in exceptional situations where impartiality and public faith are at stake.
Given the gravity of the tragedy, the magnitude of loss of life, and public allegations of bias against State authorities, the Supreme Court held that a CBI-led investigation under independent supervision was necessary to restore faith in the justice system. It directed the State to fully cooperate with the CBI and the Supervisory Committee, and to provide logistical and financial support.
Decision: The Court transferred FIR No. 855/2025 (Karur Town Police Station) to the CBI, directed immediate handover of all case papers and digital evidence, and suspended the operations of the SIT and Enquiry Commission. It further directed monthly CBI progress reports to the Supervisory Committee and ordered that the pending High Court writ petition on SOPs for political rallies be listed before a Division Bench for uniform consideration.