Karur stampede: Madurai Bench of Madras HC permits T.N. govt. to conduct event to issue appointment orders
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday (July 10, 2026) permitted the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led State government to conduct an event
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday (July 10, 2026) permitted the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led State government to conduct an event in Karur to distribute appointment orders to family members of the victims of the tragic stampede that occurred there in September 2025. The court, however, said the employment offer would be on a temporary basis, subject to judicial review. Vijay Karur visit LIVE: Chief Minister announces memorial for stampede victims on behalf of TVK A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel said it would be “extremely narrow” for the court to intervene in a policy decision of the State government.
However, the court would permit the event to proceed on the condition that the employment offer was only a temporary basis, subject to judicial review. The court directed the State to file a report outlining the guidelines for the grant of jobs on compassionate grounds, and whether those guidelines were satisfied in this case. The court posted the matter to July 21 for further hearing. The court was hearing a batch of public interest litigation (PIL) petitions, including the one filed by advocate G. Thirumurugan of Madurai, who sought a direction to restrain the State government from issuing or implementing any government appointment orders arising out of the Karur stampede until the proceedings pending before the Supreme Court with regard to the incident attain finality.
He said that 41 lives were lost and several people were injured in the September 27, 2025, rally organised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The tragic incident caused widespread concern, and that proceedings in the matter were pending before the Supreme Court. The State government has proposed to provide employment to the family members of the deceased persons, and the appointment orders are to be distributed during Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit to Karur on July 10, he said. He said there was no publicly disclosed statutory provision, government order, or uniform policy explaining the basis, criteria, and legal framework under which such government appointments were proposed to be made.
In the absence of such a policy, extending such benefits only in respect of a particular incident would result in unequal treatment among similarly placed citizens, he said. Deferring the permanent employment decision until the judicial process attains finality would not prejudice the victims’ families but would only ensure compliance with constitutional principles and the rule of law, he added.
The BriefWire