DMK moves SC to bar CM Vijay, ministers from commenting on Karur stampede

The DMK has filed an application in the Supreme Court, seeking to be impleaded as a party-respondent in the Special Leave Petition (SLP). The party has urged the court to impose strict restrictions on public statements by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and several ministers regarding the ongoing CBI investigation into the Karur stampede tragedy.

Also read | Karur stampede: CBI grills Senthil Balaji for 6 hours amid DMK-Vijay war

The application, filed on Friday (July 3) by RS Bharathi, organising secretary of the DMK and former MP, through Advocate-on-Record Anuradha Arputham, comes amid heightened political tensions following inflammatory remarks by a sitting cabinet minister who is himself an accused in the case.

Karur stampede investigation

The petition recalls the tragic stampede on September 27, 2025, at a public meeting organised by TVK in Karur, where 41 people lost their lives and 142 others were injured. The Supreme Court transferred the investigation (Crime No. 855/2025, Karur Town Police Station) to the CBI on October 13, 2025, citing political undertones. A supervisory committee headed by retired Justice Ajay Rastogi was constituted to monitor the probe.

The state police’s preliminary investigation pointed to multiple lapses by TVK organisers, including the under-declaration of crowd size, large-scale mobilisation of cadres, the delayed arrival of the TVK leader by nearly seven hours, failure to provide basic amenities, and disregard of police safety instructions. Following the May 2026 Assembly elections, TVK came to power.

Several individuals arrayed as accused in the case now hold key government positions. Bussy Anand (Accused No. 2) is the Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources, while CTR Nirmal Kumar (Accused No. 3) serves as the Minister for Law and Energy Resources. Aadhav Arjuna is the Minister for Public Works and Sports. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay himself has also been summoned multiple times by the CBI for examination.

DMK cites fresh developments

The DMK application highlights several developments that, it argues, threaten the fairness and independence of the court-monitored CBI investigation:

Pre-election monetary distribution: On October 27, 2025, while criminal proceedings were pending and before the CBI took over, CM Vijay convened a meeting with the victims' families at a private resort and distributed ₹20 lakh to the family of each deceased person and ₹2 lakh to each injured person.

Minister’s inflammatory public speech: On July 2, 2026, Minister Aadhav Arjuna made a public statement declaring that “Karur is an important place”, there is “a score to settle”, and “we will settle the score”. He allegedly accused former Chief Minister MK Stalin of having “killed Karur people” through the police and vowed to “get an answer for that”. The DMK contends this amounts to political vengeance by an accused minister and is calculated to interfere with the ongoing CBI probe and create a false public narrative blaming the previous DMK government.

Planned distribution of government benefits: Media reports indicate that CM Vijay is scheduled to visit Karur on July 10, 2026, to meet the victims’ families and hand over government orders, including compassionate appointments. While the DMK has no objection to legitimate welfare measures (the government has already announced ₹10 lakh as ex gratia), it argues that direct interaction by the political executive and accused persons with material witnesses (the victims’ families) during the pendency of the investigation carries a real risk of influencing evidence or creating an apprehension of bias.

DMK seeks probe safeguards

The DMK has sought the following directions from the Supreme Court:

To implead RS Bharathi as a party-respondent in the SLP; direct that, pending completion of the CBI investigation, no person, including CM Vijay, Ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Bussy Anand, CTR Nirmal Kumar, or any accused/connected person, shall make public statements attributing criminal liability, threatening political opponents, or commenting on the merits of the investigation in a manner likely to prejudice the probe.

Also read | Karur stampede case: SC says 'something wrong' with Madras High Court

To ensure that ex gratia, compassionate appointments or other benefits to the victims’ families are extended only in accordance with safeguards directed by the court and after placing the proposed course before the CBI, so that the integrity of the investigation and the evidence of material witnesses remain unaffected.

To direct the CBI to register a complaint and proceed against Minister Aadhav Arjuna over his July 2, 2026 statements for allegedly influencing or tampering with witnesses and impeding the investigation. Pass any other appropriate orders to preserve the fairness, independence and integrity of the court-monitored CBI investigation.