Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay has taken his party’s fight to the Supreme Court, challenging the Madras High Court’s decision to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the Karur stampede. The petition was filed by Aadhav Arjuna, TVK’s General Secretary, who requested an independent inquiry under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge.

TVK Questions Fairness of SIT Inquiry

The High Court had earlier appointed a special team headed by IPS officer Asra Garg to lead the probe. However, TVK has argued that the team, made up entirely of state police officers, cannot conduct an unbiased investigation. The petition says the High Court’s earlier remarks — including comments that Vijay’s team had not expressed remorse and that the actor left the scene soon after the incident — have already influenced the inquiry’s neutrality.

The party’s statement adds that the possibility of a deliberate attempt by miscreants to disrupt the crowd cannot be ruled out. TVK believes an external probe is essential to maintain public trust and transparency in the investigation.

Supreme Court to Hear Case on October 10

The Madras High Court had previously dismissed TVK’s request to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and instead directed a state-run SIT probe. Dissatisfied with that decision, TVK has now escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. The case will be heard on Friday, October 10, when the court will also consider a related plea that seeks a CBI-led inquiry.

TVK’s petition claims that allowing state officers to investigate a case involving the state’s own administration compromises fairness. “A neutral fact-finding body must look into the issue,” the petition notes, stressing that justice cannot appear to be one-sided.

Meanwhile, the SIT has already begun collecting witness statements and reviewing event security arrangements. The probe team has inspected the venue where the tragic incident occurred and started evaluating evidence.