CBI to probe Karur stampede, Retd SC Judge to monitor investigation

The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI inquiry into the Karur stampede in Tamil Nadu. At least 41 people died during a political rally of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, TVK, on the 27th of last month. The party, led by Tamil actor Vijay, had moved the top court challenging the Madras High Court direction for a Special Investigation Team probe into the incident. The Apex court bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria ordered a three-member committee headed by former top court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi to supervise the investigation. The court also ordered that two officers of the Indian Police Service, who may be of Tamil Nadu cadre but not natives of the State, will also be part of the panel. The officers, not below the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP), will be chosen by Justice Rastogi.
The top court also questioned why a single judge of the Madras High Court's Chennai bench - who had earlier denied a CBI investigation - took cognisance of the case and passed an order, calling the stampede an incident that "shook the nation". As per Live Law report, the Court sought a report from the Madras High Court Registrar General on how the writ petition, seeking SOP for rallies, was registered as a criminal writ petition. The High Court Chief Justice has been asked to re-assign the said petition seeking SOP to another bench.
The bench also questioned why the TVK party was granted permission to hold the rally when another party, AIADMK, was denied permission in the same place  on the grounds that the passage is too narrow. It also raised concerns about how the postmortem of 30-40 bodies was done at midnight, and the bodies were cremated at 4 a.m.The bench also granted eight-weeks' time to the State of Tamil Nadu to file its counter affidavit. It clarified that the order is based only on prima facie observations.