2nd PIL against government jobs for Karur victims dismissed as withdrawn

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed as withdrawn a PIL challenging the State's decision to offer government jobs to the families of the 2025 Karur Karur stampede victims' kin observing that a connected case is already pending before the Madurai Bench with an interim order in force.

The First Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, declined to entertain the plea, observing that a connected matter relating to the same incident is already pending before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and that an interim order has been passed in the case. The petitioner subsequently withdrew the PIL, following which the court dismissed it as withdrawn.

N Prabakaran had filed the petition before the Madras High Court, stating that 41 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in the stampede that occurred during a public meeting organised by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, headed by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, in Karur on September 27, 2025, ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

He submitted that the State had already paid an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured, while TVK had also provided Rs 20 lakh as financial assistance to each bereaved family.

He further submitted that during Chief Minister Vijay's visit to the victims' families on July 10, 2026, the State offered government employment to one eligible member of each bereaved family. The petitioner contended that extending government jobs while the investigation was still pending amounted to influencing witnesses, obstructing justice, and tampering with evidence.

He, therefore, sought a direction restraining the authorities from offering government employment to the victims' families until the police file the final report before the competent court.