Chennai: In a major setback for the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, the Madras High Court has struck down an order granting government jobs to the families of victims who lost their lives in the Karur stampede. The court ruled that appointments made on compassionate grounds in this specific instance violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee the right to equality.
A division bench comprising Justice CV Karthikeyan and Justice R Sakthivel pronounced the judgment on Monday. The bench observed that giving special treatment to the families of the Karur stampede victims would be unfair to the numerous people already waiting for government jobs on compassionate grounds. The judges cautioned that allowing such appointments outside the regular recruitment process would open the floodgates for similar demands in the future.
The tragedy occurred on September 27, 2025, during a massive rally organised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur. While permission was granted for only 10,000 attendees, between 27,000 and 50,000 people gathered at the venue. A delayed arrival by Vijay caused the crowd to turn restive, triggering a deadly stampede that claimed 41 lives and left over 60 injured.
Following the incident, the state government had announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for each deceased victim’s family, while the TVK provided an additional compensation of Rs 20 lakh. Earlier this month on July 10, Chief Minister Vijay personally handed over government job appointment letters to 32 family members of the deceased victims.
During the court proceedings, the state government defended its decision, arguing that the appointments were made on humanitarian grounds and well within constitutional limits. The Advocate General representing the state cited precedents, including jobs provided to the kin of those killed in police firing during the anti Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi, stating the move aimed to secure the livelihood of affected families.
Conversely, the petitioners’ counsel highlighted that Tamil Nadu currently has around 39 lakh unemployed youth, with nearly 20 lakh candidates preparing for competitive exams. They argued that bypassing regular recruitment channels to offer jobs was unconstitutional.
The court’s decision has left the victims’ families distressed. Gnanambika, the mother of Ravi Krishna, who died in the stampede, urged the court to reconsider its verdict and approve the government order to secure their future.