CBI probe order exposes utter disregard of State’s L&O rights, says Veerapandian

CHENNAI: CPI state secretary M Veerapandian on Tuesday strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s interim order transferring the investigation into the Karur stampede incident to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), contending that the move disregards the constitutional rights of the State over law and order.

In a statement, Veerapandian said the tragic stampede that occurred on September 27, 2025, during a road campaign organised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in Karur, claimed 41 lives and left more than a hundred people injured. He said that the State government acted swiftly, providing Rs 10 lakh as compensation to each bereaved family, arranging advanced medical care for the wounded, and appointing a one-person commission of inquiry headed by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to investigate the circumstances leading to the tragedy.

However, Veerapandian noted that a two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, on October 13, stayed both the State-appointed inquiry commission and the Special Investigation Team formed by the Madras High Court, transferring the probe to the CBI. The order further directed the Tamil Nadu Police and the SIT to hand over all documents, evidence, and materials related to the case to the central agency.

He said the decision violated the federal spirit, as law and order fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the State government. Expressing concern over the appointment of retired Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi as head of the three-member monitoring committee, he recalled that Rastogi had earlier released 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case, a verdict later struck down by the apex court itself.

Veerapandian said the directive to appoint two non-Tamil senior police officers above the rank of Director General to oversee the probe was unnecessary and could cast a shadow of doubt over the Tamil Nadu Police. He urged the Supreme Court to review its decision and ensure that justice and compensation are delivered swiftly to the victims and their families.