CBI takes over Karur stampede probe that killed 41 at actor Vijay's rally

The CBI has taken over the probe of the Karur stampede, in which 41 people were killed during a political rally of actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), officials said Sunday.

A special team of the CBI has already visited the site at Velusamypuram in Karur, Tamil Nadu, they said.

Forty-one people lost their lives and over 60 injured in the stampede that occurred at the TVK meeting addressed by Vijay on September 27.

As per procedure, the CBI has re-registered the FIR of the state police and also informed the local court about the development, they said.

The case was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for an independent probe.

The apex court directed the director of CBI to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation and appoint some other officers for the assistance of the officer.

The court also set up a three-member supervisory committee headed by former apex court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the CBI investigation.

A bench, comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria, said the September 27 stampede has left an imprint in the minds of citizens throughout the country.

It has wide ramifications with respect to the life of the citizens, and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kith and kin is of utmost importance, the court said.

Noting the political undertones of the case, the court said top police officers have made comments before the media "without having regard for the gravity of the incident", which may create doubt in the minds of the citizenry regarding an impartial and fair investigation.

"The faith and trust of the general public in the process of investigation must be restored in the criminal justice system, and one way to instil such trust is by ensuring that the investigation in the present case is completely impartial, independent and unbiased.

"Looking to the fact that the issue involved certainly has a bearing on the fundamental rights of the citizens, the incident, which has shaken the national conscience, deserves fair and impartial investigation. There cannot be any doubt that fair investigation is the right of a citizen," the bench said.