Tue Dec 02 07:39:03 UTC 2025: Summary:

A Supreme Court-appointed committee, led by retired judge Ajay Rastogi, has commenced a three-day visit to Karur, Tamil Nadu, to oversee the CBI investigation into the fatal stampede that occurred during a political rally organized by actor Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The committee will review the CBI’s progress, meet with victims’ families, receive petitions from the public and political parties regarding alleged lapses in crowd control, and be briefed by local officials. The visit follows the Supreme Court’s decision to transfer the case to the CBI and place it under the committee’s supervision after halting an earlier investigation.

News Article:

Supreme Court Committee Arrives in Karur to Monitor CBI Stampede Probe

Karur, Tamil Nadu – December 2, 2025 – A Supreme Court-appointed committee, headed by retired Justice Ajay Rastogi, arrived in Karur today to begin its oversight of the CBI investigation into the deadly September 27 stampede at Velusamypuram that claimed 41 lives. The incident occurred during a political rally organized by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay.

The committee, which includes senior IPS officers Sonal Mishra and Sumit Saran, will spend three days in Karur reviewing the CBI’s progress, meeting with families of the deceased and injured, and accepting submissions from the public and political organizations regarding potential failures in crowd management and emergency response.

This visit follows a Supreme Court order to halt the previous investigation led by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg and transfer the case to the CBI. The CBI team, led by IPS officer Praveen Kumar, has been stationed in Karur for several weeks, analyzing evidence including crowd-movement videos and witness accounts.

District Collector M. Thangavel and RDO Mohammed Faizal welcomed the committee and briefed them on the administrative response to the tragedy, including compensation distribution and revised safety protocols. The committee is scheduled to leave Karur on December 4th.

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