The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has approached the Supreme Court with a plea to be involved in the ongoing case related to the devastating 2025 Karur stampede. This tragic event at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally resulted in the deaths of 41 individuals and injuries to 142 others, as per the case TVK Vs PH Dinesh. The plea has been submitted by DMK’s organizing secretary, RS Bharathi.
The DMK is urging the court to prevent TVK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, along with ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Bussy Anand, and CT Nirmal Kumar, from making public statements about the ongoing investigation into the Karur stampede. Bharathi’s application further requests that measures be put in place before the Tamil Nadu government dispenses benefits, government orders, or offers compassionate appointments to the families of those affected by the stampede.
The application references media reports suggesting the Tamil Nadu government, led by Vijay, is contemplating offering government jobs to a family member from each of the 41 affected families. Vijay had previously distributed ₹20 lakh to each deceased victim’s family and ₹2 lakh to those injured, despite ongoing criminal proceedings.
While the DMK does not oppose welfare initiatives for the victims’ families, it stresses that these families are key witnesses in the investigation, now under the purview of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The probe is being monitored by a committee led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, following directives from the Supreme Court.
The plea emphasizes the risk that interaction with critical witnesses by individuals involved or by the political executive could raise concerns about the impartiality and independence of the investigation. Bharathi also highlighted statements made by sitting TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna regarding the Karur incident. The plea references a speech allegedly delivered by Arjuna on July 2, where he purportedly indicated a vendetta related to the Karur incident, potentially implicating the DMK and its leadership.
Additionally, the application cites a previous counter-affidavit from the then-DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, which attributed the tragedy to factors like under-reporting of crowd size by TVK, the delayed arrival of the TVK leader, insufficient amenities, and alleged disregard for police directives.
RS Bharathi has requested that the Supreme Court instruct the CBI to take action against Arjuna, whose comments are perceived as an attempt to influence witnesses and obstruct the investigation. Arjuna is also named as an accused in the criminal case stemming from the Karur stampede. The application was filed through Advocate-on-Record Anuradha Arputham.
