Karur stampede: DMK moves SC to restrain TVK leaders from making public statements

New Delhi: The DMK moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking a direction to restrain TVK leaders including Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay from making public statements or levelling "false accusations" in connection with the Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed.

The plea filed by DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi, who has sought impleadment in a pending case, submitted that several persons who were initially chargesheeted in the case are now ministers in the Tamil Nadu cabinet following the 2026 assembly elections.

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The petition referred to a public statement allegedly made on Thursday by Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna, in which he allegedly said that there was "a score to settle" over the Karur incident and alleged that the previous DMK government had "killed" Karur people through the police.

The plea has sought a direction to the CBI to register a complaint and take action against the public statements made by Arjuna for "influencing, tampering with witnesses and impeding the investigation".

Bharathi claimed that Vijay was likely to travel to Karur on July 10 to meet the families of Karur stampede victims and hand over government benefits, including orders of compassionate appointment.

"When the investigation is still pending, any direct interaction with such material witnesses by persons connected with the subject matter of the investigation or by the political executive presently in office, particularly while distributing benefits arising out of the very incident under investigation, has the potential to give rise to an apprehension, whether real or perceived, regarding the fairness and independence of the investigative process," the plea said.

The top court had earlier ordered the CBI to take over the probe into the Karur stampede saying that the incident had shaken the national conscience and deserved a fair and impartial investigation.

In its order on a plea by actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for an independent probe, the top court also set up a three-member supervisory committee headed by former apex court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the CBI investigation.

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Earlier, the police said the rally saw a turnout of 27,000, nearly three times the expected 10,000 participants, and blamed a seven-hour delay by Vijay in reaching the venue for the tragedy.