Relief for Vijay govt, SC pauses order cancelling jobs for Karur victims' families

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court order cancelling the Tamil Nadu government's decision to provide compassionate jobs to families of the 41 Karur stampede victims.

In Short

• SC questioned challenge to government's decision to employ victims' families
• Court supported providing employment along with compensation to affected families
• Madras HC had cancelled job order citing risk of opening floodgates for similar demands

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court's recent decision to cancel the Tamil Nadu government's decision to give jobs on compassionate grounds to the family members of the 41 persons killed in the September 2025 Karur stampede.

A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran passed the interim order on a petition moved by the state government.

"Issue notice. Judgment passed by the High Court shall remain stayed," the top court said.

The Supreme Court also issued notice to the Tamil Nadu chief secretary and others on the petition challenging the High Court's judgment.

The apex court observed that an unfortunate incident had led the government to offer employment to the victim's families.

"Stampede took place. An unfortunate incident happened. The government has decided to compensate them. Should the government not give employment?" the bench remarked.

The Supreme Court also questioned the challenge to the state government's decision to provide employment to the victims' families.

"What is the problem with the State giving employment to the victims of a tragedy?" the bench asked.

The bench said, "A stampede happened, people died."

The court further observed that if the government had decided to provide some succour to the affected families and compensate them with money, its decision to provide employment could also be considered.

"If the government decided that they should be provided with some succour, and decided to compensate them with money, how are you to question them that no employment should be given?" the bench said.

The Supreme Court also asked whether the government should not provide employment to the family of a person who was the sole member of the family and died in the tragedy.

"Suppose the sole member died in the tragedy, shouldn't the government give some employment to son or daughter?" the bench asked the PIL petitioner who had challenged the state government's order.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the state government.

WHAT MADRAS HIGH COURT HAD RULED

The Madras High Court had, on July 27, cancelled Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's order providing government jobs to relatives of people who died in the Karur stampede last year.

Last month, the High Court ruled that the appointments could not be sustained since public employment must be made in accordance with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.

The High Court also observed that allowing such appointments could open the floodgates for similar demands.

A division bench comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel had held that it was not appropriate to overlook the needs of several other persons whose family members had died while in government service and who were already waiting for compassionate appointments.

The High Court said the state could not overlook those claims and give jobs to the families of those killed in the stampede.

The High Court passed the judgment on petitions challenging the government's decision to offer employment to the families of the 41 persons who died in the September 2025 stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur.

WHY JOBS DECISION WAS CHALLENGED

After the TVK, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, came to power following the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections held in April 2026, the state decided to give jobs to the kin of those who died in the stampede.

The petitions before the High Court argued that compassionate appointments are ordinarily governed by strict rules applicable to the dependants of government employees who die while in service.

The petitioners also argued that the families had already received ex gratia compensation and that granting employment while the CBI investigation was pending could influence material witnesses.

The tragedy is presently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Supreme Court's interim stay keeps the Madras High Court's order in abeyance while the apex court considers the state government's challenge.

- Ends