The court ordered the formation of the SIR under senior IPS officer Asra Garg who is currently the North Zone’s Inspector General of Police, reported news agency PTI.
The stampede claimed lives of 41 people while leaving over 60 injured.
The bench of Justice N Sethilkumar was hearing the writ petition filed in the matter and questioned why Vijay was not named in the first information report (FIR) filed in the case.
Justice Sethilkumar also criticised the TVK leaders and observed that “they had abandoned the scene of occurrence” while failing to take moral or legal responsibility, as per News18.
“The court cannot close its eyes and shirk its responsibilities,” the bench observed, adding that the TVK party did not even expressed remorse over the accident. “This shows the mental state of the leader,” the bench added.
PIL petitioner alleges death threat from TVKÂ
The petitioner who filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the Madras High Court, seeking a ban on the gatherings on roadshows, allegedly received a death threat from TVK district secretary Vinoth.
Amaravel Pandian, the petitioner’s advocate told reporters on Oct 3, that this happened after the court’s hearing today.
“After today’s court hearing, a person named Vinoth, the TVK Secretary of Bhoothagudi, went directly to my client Kathiresan’s house and threatened him with death. As soon as Kathiresan contacted me, Vinoth and the others fled the scene,” he said, as per PTI.
“We have now filed a fresh case before the Madurai Bench of the High Court, citing intimidation and threat to life,” Pandian added.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had issued an interim injunction banning the political parties from organising public events or meetings on state and national highways in Tamil Nadu till the time Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are drafted in the matter, reported news agency ANI.
The order was passed while hearing four PILs which sought directions to frame SOPs for mass gatherings to prevent Karur-like accidents.
Noting that a similar case regarding SOPs is pending before the Principal Seat at Madras, the judges allowed the petitioners to be impleaded in that matter, as per ANI.
The government also reportedly assured the court that no meetings will be permitted, except at the earmarked places, until SOPs are finalised.
Pleas seeking SBI probe dismissedÂ
Another bench, hearing various petitions seeking that the probe in the Karur stampede be heard by the Central Bureau of India (CBI), noted that the investigation in the matter by the Tamil Nadu Police is still in the early stages and dismissed the pleas.
“If aggrieved persons come to this court, we will rescue. Who are you? Don’t treat this court as the political arena. If, in the investigation, something goes wrong, you come. This is the initial stage,” the division bench of Justices M Dhandapani and M Jothiraman was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.
The bench further directed the government and political parties to make sure that facilities of drinking water and sanitation are arranged properly at their rallies or meetings.
Tamil Nadu is expected to hold Assembly elections by the first half of 2026.
