Karur stampede: CBI probe commences
A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) commenced its preliminary probe on Friday into the September 27 stampede, which claimed 41 lives, during a rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay.
Acting on the October 13 orders of the Supreme Court, the six-member team, led by IPS officer Praveen Kumar, which arrived at Karur late on Thursday night, visited Velusamypuram, the site of the stampede, on Friday morning. The team is expected to meet the families of victims as well as the injured in Karur and its neighbourhood and record their statements in connection with the inquiry.
After a discussion with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg, the CBI squad received the documents pertaining to the inquiry.
While ordering a CBI inquiry, the Supreme Court has stayed the SIT, constituted by the Madras High Court, and the Commission of Inquiry, constituted by the Tamil Nadu Government and headed by Justice (Retd) Aruna Jagadeesan.
The apex court has transferred the case from the SIT to the premier central agency on a petition from the TVK.