Karur Tragedy: After SC junks plea, DMK moves CBI, monitoring panel

CHENNAI: The DMK has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee overseeing the CBI investigation into the Karur stampede case, seeking legal action against minister Aadhav Arjuna over his recent public remarks on the incident.

The move came after a partial working day bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe of the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain the DMK's plea questioning Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s scheduled July 10 visit to Karur to meet the families of last year’s stampede victims and alleging that TVK ministers were influencing witnesses in the case.

In the representation addressed to the committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi on Tuesday alleged that the minister's statements blaming the then DMK government, former Chief Minister MK Stalin and the police for the tragedy could prejudice the ongoing court-monitored investigation.

The DMK urged the monitoring committee to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a case against Arjuna and examine whether his public statements amounted to influencing witnesses or impeding the investigation.

The petition also referred to the CM’s proposed visit to Karur for distributing financial assistance and compassionate appointments to the families of the victims. While clarifying it had no objection to the grant of welfare measures, the DMK requested that such assistance be extended only after appropriate safeguards were put in place and after obtaining the views of the CBI.

The DMK has also submitted an identical representation to the CBI, seeking appropriate legal action against the minister.

Earlier on Tuesday, Justice Viswanathan had told senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Bharati, "The chief minister is not an accused in the case. How can the court regulate his visit".