Supreme Court questions Madras High Court functioning in Karur stampede case hearings

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has raised sharp and unprecedented concerns over the functioning of the Madras High Court during the hearing of the Karur stampede case. The apex court observed that something was “seriously wrong” in the manner cases were being listed and heard in the High Court, and said a clear explanation was now necessary.

A Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Vishnoi made these remarks after examining a report submitted by the Registrar General of the Madras High Court.

The Supreme Court issued a formal notice and made the Registrar General a party to the proceedings, stressing that procedural irregularities cannot be ignored when they directly affect judicial outcomes. “Something is not right in the High Court… we need to examine this,” Justice Maheshwari stated.

The matter relates to the petition filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which sought guidelines for conducting roadshows. However, the Madras High Court’s division bench went beyond the request and ordered the setting up of an SIT probe into the Karur tragedy.

This contradicted an earlier order of the Madurai Bench, which had barred a CBI inquiry into the same incident. With two conflicting directives emerging from the same High Court, the Supreme Court said the situation required urgent scrutiny and transparency.

The case stems from the tragic TVK rally held on September 27, where 41 people lost their lives and over 60 others were injured in a stampede. Representing the Tamil Nadu government, senior advocate N.K. Kaul informed the Supreme Court that the state had already filed its response and that the matter deserved full hearing.

The state government also urged the apex court to lift the stay imposed on the CBI investigation and allow the single-member judicial commission led by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to continue its probe. The Bench, however, said it first wanted clarity on how cases were being assigned and how two contradictory orders were issued in relation to the same matter.

The Supreme Court noted that it was not yet making a decision on the broader investigation issue. For now, the focus would remain on the “serious procedural lapses” within the Madras High Court. The Bench emphasised that orderly listing and coherent judicial process were fundamental to public trust in the judiciary.

By questioning the internal administrative functioning of a High Court, the Supreme Court has signalled that inconsistencies in judicial procedure cannot be overlooked, particularly in a sensitive case involving mass casualties and allegations of administrative lapses.

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