In a significant development in the investigation into the deadly Karur stampede, senior Tamil Nadu police and administrative officials appeared before a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee on Tuesday. The committee, led by retired judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, is overseeing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the tragedy that claimed 41 lives and left over a hundred injured during a TVK (Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam) rally on September 27.
Senior Officials Provide Detailed Explanations
This marks the first time that top-ranking officials have been summoned to give their accounts directly to the monitoring panel. Inspector General (Central Zone) K Joshi Nirmal Kumar, Karur Superintendent of Police Josh Thangaiah, and District Collector M Thangavel presented themselves at the Karur circuit house, located within the district collectorate premises.
District Collector M Thangavel faced the three-member panel for approximately three hours, starting at 12:30 pm. Following him, SP Josh Thangaiah and IG K Joshi Nirmal Kumar each gave explanations lasting more than two hours. The committee also includes IPS officers Sonal Mishra and Sumit Saran.
CBI's Ongoing Investigation and Public Petitions
The panel, which arrived in Karur on Tuesday morning, was first briefed by CBI officers who have been conducting the inquiry for several weeks. In addition to the senior officials, Deputy Superintendent of Police M Selvaraj and Karur Town Police Inspector G Manivannan were also questioned. Sources indicate that more than 25 individuals, including officials, witnesses, and family members of the victims, appeared before the committee.
Simultaneously, the CBI received a flood of petitions from the public. As announced, representatives from various associations, including the Adi Tamilar Peravai, submitted their appeals. Sources revealed that more than 20 petitions were handed over, including from key figures linked to the TVK such as Rani (wife of west district secretary V P Mathiazhagan), district treasurer Arumugam, and legal wing functionary G Arasu. Several petitions reportedly pointed to poor arrangements and delays attributed to TVK leader Vijay as contributing factors to the tragedy.
Background of the CBI Probe
Over the preceding weeks, a CBI team led by Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Praveen Kumar has been meticulously analyzing the incident site at Velusamypuram. Their investigation has involved questioning families of the deceased, injured survivors, ambulance drivers involved in rescue operations, local street vendors, and district and state-level TVK functionaries who organized the event. In a related move, CBI DIG Atul Kumar Thakur visited Velusamypuram on Monday, just ahead of the monitoring committee's visit, to review the ground situation.
The appearance of the state's highest-ranking officials in the region before the Supreme Court panel underscores the seriousness with which the judicial system is treating this case. The monitoring committee's role is to ensure a transparent and thorough CBI investigation into one of Tamil Nadu's most tragic public safety failures in recent times.
