Karur stampede: TVK files reply to State’s plea

NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK has filed its reply (preliminary-rejoinder) to the Tamil Nadu government's plea urging the Supreme Court to set aside its order that handed over the probe into the Karur stampede case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In its response, the TVK has claimed that the Tamil Nadu government's plea (counter-affidavit) lacks material facts and provides no valid reason to remove the jurisdiction of the CBI and the supervisory committee, constituted by the top court.

TVK asserts that several statements in the State government's counter-affidavit are false and misleading. Considering such claims would hinder the ongoing investigation and its supervision, TVK added.

"The Respondents (Tamil Nadu government) are erroneously claiming that the Petitioner (TVK) has misled this Hon'ble Court, omitted material facts, or made unsupported assumptions - these averments on the Respondents' behalf do not have any substance, and are not borne by the material on record before this Hon'ble Court", as per the response by the TVK.

Thus, TVK seeks that it is essential in the interests of justice for the CBI probe in the present case to be continued to be monitored by the Justice (Retd) Ajay Rastogi Committee.

TVK's response has been filed through Advocates Dixita Gohil, Pranjal Agarwal, Rupali Samuel and Yash S Vijay.