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SC Stays Madras HC Order Quashing Jobs For Karur Stampede Victims’ Kin (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday put a stay on the Madras High Court order that had cancelled the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to provide compassionate government jobs to the families of those who died in the 2025 Karur stampede.
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued notice on the Tamil Nadu government’s plea challenging the High Court verdict and temporarily suspended its operation.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court questioned why the state government should be stopped from providing assistance to families who lost their earning members in the tragedy.
Justice JB Pardiwala observed that if a person was the only earning member of a family and died in such an incident, the government could consider providing employment support to their dependents.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, argued that there was no legal basis to challenge the state’s decision through a Public Interest Litigation.
The Supreme Court’s move came after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on July 27 cancelled the Tamil Nadu government order granting compassionate appointments to the families of Karur stampede victims.
The High Court had ruled that the decision violated the principles of equality under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, stating that many other applicants were already waiting for compassionate appointments in government departments.
The court had observed that providing jobs to one specific group while bypassing others awaiting similar benefits raised concerns about fairness.
The tragic incident took place on September 27, 2025, during a political rally organised by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur, Tamil Nadu.
The stampede claimed the lives of 41 people and sparked a major political controversy over crowd management, security arrangements and accountability.
During the hearing, a lawyer opposing the government’s move raised concerns about a possible political conflict of interest, alleging that the party linked to the incident was in power.
However, the Supreme Court bench cautioned against bringing political arguments into the matter, with Justice K Vinod Chandran stating, “Don’t bring politics here.”
