Karur Stampede : Supreme Court To Hear Tomorrow DMK's Plea Against Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Meeting Victims' Families

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list tomorrow an application filed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seeking to restrain Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, TN Minister Aadhav Arjuna and other accused persons from making public statements in relation to the Karur stampede, which is being investigated by the CBI, and to regulate their interaction with victims' families during the pendency of the probe.Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, for DMK Secretary RS Bharati, mentioned the matter before a partial Court working days bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice Sheel Nagu.Citing the urgency, Ahmadi submitted that Chief Minister Vijay was proposing to meet the families of the victims on July 10, and raised the apprehension that witnesses might be influenced.Ahmadi submitted :"There is an application which we have moved...the urgency is this...your lordships had directed a CBI enquiry, now while the enquiry is pending, there is an attempt to influence witnesses. Which I can demonstrate from the record...this is a matter relating to Karur Stampede. Your lordships also appointed a Monitoring Committee. In the interregnum, after April, some of the accused, who are now Ministers in the present regime, there is an active attempt to influence the witnesses. So I have taken out an application that is demonstrated by the record. It was filed on Friday...There is an apprehension that that will happen on the 10th.""What order can be really passed?", Justice Amanullah initially asked. Ultimately, the bench agreed to list the matter tomorrow.The plea refers to reports that Chief Minister Vijay is scheduled to visit Karur around July 10 to distribute government orders, compassionate appointments and other benefits to the families of the deceased and injured victims.While clarifying that it has no objection to the State extending ex gratia assistance or welfare measures, the DMK leader argued that the victims' families are also material witnesses in the CBI investigation. The application contends that direct interaction with such witnesses by persons connected with the subject matter of the investigation or by members of the political executive could create a reasonable apprehension regarding the fairness of the probe.The application also points out that Vijay had earlier distributed ₹20 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh each to injured victims in October 2025, when the criminal proceedings were pending. It argues that, taken together with the proposed distribution of government benefits after assuming office and the public statements made by an accused Minister, these developments warrant judicial safeguards to preserve the integrity of the investigation.Another grievance raised in the application concerns a public statement allegedly made on July 2, 2026 by Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna, who is also an accused in the case. Referring to the Minister's remarks that there was "a score to settle" over the Karur incident and his allegation that the previous DMK government had "killed Karur people through the police," Bharathi argued that such statements were intended to influence the ongoing Court-monitored investigation.The application alleges that an accused holding public office "cannot set a narrative especially when the investigation is going on," and that the speech was calculated to prejudice the investigation and create a public perception regarding responsibility for the incident. It further states that a separate contempt petition is being proposed against the Minister.Among the reliefs sought, Bharathi has prayed for directions restraining Vijay, Aadhav Arjuna, Bussy Anand, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar and other accused persons from making public statements attributing criminal liability or commenting on the merits of the pending investigation.The application also seeks a direction that government benefits to victims' families be disbursed only in accordance with safeguards approved by the Supreme Court and after placing the proposed course of action before the CBI, so that the evidence of material witnesses is not affected.Additionally, Bharathi has sought a direction to the CBI to initiate proceedings against Aadhav Arjuna over his July 2 statement, alleging that it amounts to influencing witnesses and impeding the ongoing investigation.

Karur Stampede : Supreme Court To Hear Tomorrow DMK's Plea Against Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Meeting Victims' Families

Debby Jain

The TN opposition party raised the apprehension that witnesses might be influenced by the meeting of the Chief Minister, undermining the ongoing CBI investigation.

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Debby Jain

Karur Stampede : Supreme Court To Hear Tomorrow DMK's Plea Against Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Meeting Victims' Families

Debby Jain

The TN opposition party raised the apprehension that witnesses might be influenced by the meeting of the Chief Minister, undermining the ongoing CBI investigation.

This is a premium content Available exclusively to Our subscribers

INR 1099+GST

Tags

Debby Jain

This is a premium content
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