Something is wrong in the way Madras HC handled Karur stampede case: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday frowned upon a report sent by Madras High Court's registrar general on the high court's handling of the case over the stampede at a rally organised by actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party at Karur.

Hearing petitions seeking an independent investigation into the September 27 stampede where 41 people were killed, a division bench comprising justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi verbally remarked that "something is wrong" in the manner the high court dealt with the case. The bench directed that the report be shared with the parties involved and sought their responses.

The apex court had in October raised eyebrows on two seemingly conflicting orders passed by the high court, one declining a plea for a CBI probe (passed by the Madurai bench) into the incident and the other directing a probe by a special investigation team of the high court (passed by principal bench). It had then sought a report from the high court in this regard.


On Friday, after perusing the report sent by the registrar general, the bench said: "This is not a right thing that is happening in the high court."

The bench also rejected an oral request to modify a part of its October 13 order, which had directed that CBI probe be supervised by a three-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi. The order requires justice Rastogi to pick two senior IPS officers from the Tamil Nadu cadre who are not natives of the state. The bench refused to reconsider the phrase "non-native", which had triggered political outrage in Tamil Nadu and formed a key grievance in the state government's affidavit.