The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up on July 7 the DMK’s petition accusing Tamil Nadu ministers and TVK leaders of “actively influencing” witnesses in the CBI probe into last year’s Karur stampede, in which 41 people were killed.
The Bench of Justice A Amanullah and Justice Sheel Nagu agreed to list the petition on Tuesday, after senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi mentioned the petition filed by DMK organising secretary RS Bharati and sought an urgent hearing, alleging that there was an attempt to influence witnesses.
“This is a matter relating to the Karur stampede…. Your Lordships had directed a CBI enquiry, now, while the enquiry is pending, there is an attempt to influence witnesses… Your Lordships had also appointed a monitoring committee… there is an active attempt to influence the witnesses…,” Ahmadi submitted.
The DMK had moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking a direction to restrain Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, state minister Aadhav Arjuna and other accused TVK leaders from making public statements or levelling “false accusations” in connection with the Karur stampede, and to regulate their interaction with victims’ families during the pendency of the CBI probe.
The plea came days before CM Vijay’s scheduled visit to Karur on July 10 to distribute government orders, compassionate appointments, and other benefits to the families of the deceased, and injured victims.
Maintaining that it had no objection to welfare measures for the victims’ families, the DMK highlighted that these families were material witnesses in the ongoing case being probed by the CBI under the supervision of a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi.
Filed by the DMK organising secretary, the plea sought to be made party in a pending case.
Bharathi submitted that several persons initially charge-sheeted in the case were now ministers in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, following the 2026 Assembly elections.
Referring to a public statement allegedly made by Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna, the plea pointed out that the minister allegedly said there was “a score to settle” over the Karur incident.
Arjuna alleged that the previous DMK government had “killed” people of Karur through the police.
Bharathi has sought directions against CM Vijay and TVK ministers, including Arjuna, Bussy Anand and CT Nirmal Kumar.
He urged the top court to restrain them, and others connected with the case, from making public statements on the merits of the pending investigation into the stampede.
Bharathi also demanded safeguards before the state government distributed benefits, government orders or compassionate appointments.
