'CM Vijay not accused': SC refuses DMK's Karur stampede plea
What's the story
The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a petition by DMK Organizing Secretary RS Bharathi that sought to restrain Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and others from making public statements in relation to the Karur Stampede, currently investigated by the CBI. The bench, comprising Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe, was not inclined to entertain the matter but granted liberty to the applicant to pursue other remedies available under the law.
Legal proceedings
'Want to restrain comments about case merits'
The DMK's application was filed ahead of Vijay's meeting with the stampede victims' families on July 10 to distribute ex-gratia compensation and compassionate appointment orders. Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing Bharathi, argued that public statements by TVM Ministers were creating a "narrative" around the case. Justice Viswanathan asked if they wanted SC to regulate CM's visit and fix his itinerary. Kumar clarified they only wanted to restrain comments by Vijay and other ministers regarding the merits of the case.
Case clarification
'Chief Minister not accused in FIRs'
At this juncture, Justice Viswanathan clarified that Vijay is not an accused in the FIRs registered in connection with the Karur Stampede case. He asked how distributing ex gratia compensation would affect the investigation. Kumar argued that Vijay was both head of political executive and first accused, but Justice Viswanathan corrected him, saying, "The Chief Minister is not an accused in the FIRs registered...today, to make this court a political fora...how is that possible?"
Application dismissal
No objections to the ex gratia or welfare measures: DMK
While stating that it has no objections to the ex gratia or welfare measures, the DMK leader contended that the victims' families are also material witnesses in the CBI inquiry. The application stated that direct engagement with such witnesses by anyone involved in the inquiry or members of the political executive might raise legitimate concerns about the probe's fairness. Among the reliefs sought, Bharathi prayed for directions restraining Vijay and other accused persons from making public statements pending investigation.