Indian Supreme Court orders CBI probe into Karur stampede

The Supreme Court of India on Monday directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede case that claimed 41 lives and injured over 60 during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally on 27 September.

- S VENKAT NARAYAN

A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also constituted a three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the investigation. The Committee will include two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of Tamil Nadu cadre who are not natives of the state.

"The impartial probe is a right of every citizen," the top court said. The order was pronounced after the bench, which had reserved the matter on Friday, heard a batch of petitions, including one by TVK General Secretary (Election Strategy) Aadhav Arjuna seeking to quash the Madras High Court order constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.

Other petitioners included P. Selvaraj of Emur Puthur, who lost his wife, P.