Karur stampede: Shift of probe to CBI undermines State autonomy; sets dangerous precedent, Tamil Nadu tells Supreme Court

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) urged the Supreme Court of India to set aside its October 13 order transferring the Karur stampede case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying it undermines State autonomy and sets a dangerous precedent.

The State said the Supreme Court cited the “political undertones” of the case as a reason to transfer the probe from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of senior Tamil Nadu police officers to the Central agency.

“Mere political overtones or allegations cannot justify transferring investigation to the CBI. In a federal polity where different political parties govern at the Union and the State, allegations of political motive or rivalry are commonplace,” the Tamil Nadu Government, represented by senior advocate P. Wilson, submitted in the Supreme Court.

Forty-one people were killed and several injured in the Karur stampede on September 27 during a rally organised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founded by actor Vijay.

The State said the “floodgates for political misuse of Central investigative agencies” would be opened if “political undertones” become sufficient basis for CBI intervention.

The State said the October 13 order in the Karur stampede has “undermined State autonomy and the constitutional balance of power”.

“The Interim Order sets a dangerous precedent whereby every politically sensitive case may be sought to be removed from State jurisdiction, contrary to the federal structure and judicial self-restraint,” the State argued.

The State said the SIT of senior Tamil Nadu police officers had been constituted by the Madras High Court. It was already functioning under the direct supervision of the High Court itself to ensure transparency and accountability. A Court cannot order a CBI investigation as a matter of routine.

“The SIT, functioning under the aegis of the High Court, represented the most appropriate balance between independence of investigation and respect for the federal structure, and there exists no demonstrable reason or material warranting to invoke extraordinary jurisdiction and take the step of transferring the probe to the CBI,” the State submitted.

The State said the apex court’s insistence on October 13 to have two “non-native” IPS officers from the Tamil Nadu cadre in a committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge, Justice Ajay Rastogi, was “ex facie unconstitutional”.

“The direction proceeds on an impermissible presumption that officers of Tamil Nadu origin are inherently less impartial, which is an affront to the integrity of the All India Services,” the State contended.

It argued that the classification introduced in the September 13 order between ‘native’ and ‘non-native’ officers lacks any intelligible differentia and bears no rational nexus to the object of ensuring fair investigation.

The State said the ‘classification’ was violative of the fundamental right to equality and non-discrimination. The Tamil Nadu Government also sought a change in the constitution of the supervisory committee.

Inspectors General of Police Sumit Sharan and Sonal V. Mishra was chosen to assist the committee headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi.

The State claimed that one of the chosen officers, while serving as Coimbatore Police Commissioner, was transferred by the Election Commission to a non-election post during the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections pursuant to inputs indicating a perception of bias in favour of the AIADMK party.

“This past record and bias attached to one political party raises a legitimate apprehension regarding the impartiality and neutrality of the officer in the present investigation,” the Tamil Nadu affidavit said.

The State sought the immediate removal of the committee for the sake of the integrity of the investigation.