A view of the CBI’s temporary camp office in Karur on December 2, 2025. The central agency is investigating the September 27 stampede that took place during a TVK rally | Photo credit: M. Moorthy
The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (Dec 2, 2025) urged India’s Supreme Court to set aside its October 13 order transferring the Karur stampede case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying it undermined state autonomy and set a dangerous precedent.
The state said the Supreme Court had cited the “political overtones” of the case as the reason for handing over the investigation from a special investigation team (SIT) of senior Tamil Nadu police officers to the central agency.
“Mere political overtones or allegations cannot justify handing over the investigation to the CBI. In a federal establishment where different political parties rule the Union and the state, allegations of political motive or rivalry are common,” the Tamil Nadu government, represented by senior advocate P. Wilson, told the Supreme Court.
Forty-one people were killed and several injured in the Karur stampede on 27 September during a rally organized by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded by actor Vijay.
The state said the “building floodgates for political misuse of central investigating agencies” would be opened if “political overtones” became sufficient grounds for CBI intervention.
The state said the October 13 order in the Karuru stampede “undermined state autonomy and the constitutional balance of power”.
“The interim order creates a dangerous precedent whereby any politically sensitive case can be removed from state jurisdiction, which is inconsistent with the federal structure and judicial restraint,” the state argued.
The state said an SIT of senior Tamil Nadu police officers was set up by the Madras High Court. It was already functioning under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court itself to ensure transparency and accountability. The court cannot order a CBI investigation as a matter of routine.
“The SIT, functioning under the auspices of the Supreme Court, represented the most appropriate balance between investigative independence and respect for the federal structure and there is no demonstrable reason or material reason to exercise extraordinary jurisdiction and hand over the investigation to the CBI,” the state said.
The state said the October 13 Supreme Court’s insistence that two “non-native” Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officers be in the committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi was “ex facie unconstitutional”.
“The direction is based on an impermissible assumption that officers of Tamil Nadu origin are inherently less impartial, which is an affront to the integrity of the All India Services,” the state alleged.
She argued that the classification introduced in the September 13 order between “native” and “non-native” officers lacked any intelligible distinction and had no rational connection to ensure a fair investigation.
The state said the “classification” violated the fundamental right to equality and non-discrimination. The Tamil Nadu government has also sought a change in the composition of the vigilance committee.
Inspectors General of Police Summit Sharan and Sonal V. Mishra were selected to assist the committee headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi.
The state alleged that one of the selected officers, who was serving as the Commissioner of Police in Coimbatore, was transferred by the Election Commission to a non-electoral seat during the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections on allegations that indicated a perceived bias in favor of the AIADMK party.
“This past record and bias associated with one political party raises legitimate concerns about the impartiality and neutrality of the police officer in the current investigation,” the Tamil Nadu affidavit said.
The state demanded the immediate recall of the committee for the sake of the integrity of the investigation.
Published – 02 Dec 2025 13:53 IST
