The Madras High Court on Monday quashed the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led Tamil Nadu government's decision to provide government jobs to the families of those who died in the Karur stampede, ruling that the move violated constitutional provisions related to equality and public employment. The court held that the appointments were inconsistent with Article 14, which guarantees equality before the law, and Article 16, which ensures equal opportunity in government employment. It further observed that permitting such appointments could open the "floodgates" for similar claims in future, creating an unsustainable precedent.

The Karur stampede occurred in September last year during a TVK rally addressed by Vijay, claiming the lives of 41 people, including children. At the time of the incident, the DMK was in power in Tamil Nadu. Police alleged that Vijay's delayed arrival caused the crowd to swell beyond the approved capacity and cited multiple lapses in crowd management, including inadequate arrangements for drinking water, food and toilet facilities. TVK denied the allegations, instead blaming police failures and accusing former DMK minister Senthil Balaji of conspiracy, an allegation he has rejected.

In October 2025, the Supreme Court transferred the probe from the state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), stressing the need for an independent and impartial investigation. The CBI is examining several aspects of the rally, including crowd-control measures, the timeline of Vijay's arrival and the coordination between organisers and local authorities to determine whether negligence contributed to the tragedy.

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Earlier this month, Chief Minister Vijay visited Karur and handed over compassionate government job appointment orders to 32 legal heirs of those who lost their lives in the stampede. The state government described the appointments as part of its relief and rehabilitation package aimed at providing financial security and long-term support to the bereaved families. The move was presented as a humanitarian measure to help families recover from the loss of their primary earners.

The appointments, however, drew criticism from the opposition. Senior AIADMK leader R.B. Udhayakumar described the decision as a betrayal of lakhs of young aspirants waiting for government jobs through the regular recruitment process. He alleged that the appointments bypassed statutory procedures and maintained that all government recruitment in Tamil Nadu should be conducted strictly through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), without political exceptions.

The High Court's ruling reinforces the constitutional principle that public employment must be granted through fair and equal opportunity rather than executive discretion. While the judgment does not prevent the state from extending financial assistance or other rehabilitation measures to victims' families, it makes clear that government jobs cannot be offered in violation of constitutional safeguards, even as the CBI continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Karur stampede.

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