Madras High Court quashes TN orders for jobs to Karur stampede victims’ families

Chennai: In a blow to the C Joseph Vijay Government, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday struck down Government Orders granting government jobs to the family members of the victims of the Karur stampede that occurred in September 2025 during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam rally addressed by the actor-politician. As many as 41 persons were killed in the crowd crush and the Chief Minister had earlier this month handed over appointments letters to families of most of the victims.However, allowing a batch of Public Interest Litigation petitions challenging the Government Orders, a Division Bench of Justices C V Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel quashed the appointment orders. “The grant of such compassionate employment for this incident will only open the floodgates for various others to also seek such employment,” the judge said. Citing instances of fireworks accidents and road transport accidents due to negligence as examples, the judges said granting such compassionate employment would lead to several other clamours seeking public employment.Also Watch:“Public employment is not to be thrown away as a largesse by the State. It has to be earned. Its value will have to be realised and its importance would have to be cherished,” the judges said and wondered why the government could not have extended training in skills and entrepreneurship on various aspects for the deserving members of the families of those who died in tragedies like this. “The government would be creating leaders, entrepreneurs and self sufficient individuals in each family who would later on provide employment to others. The government can bear the expenses towards such technical courses or skilled courses. That would be a far far better thing to have been resorted to rather than giving public employment as office assistants,” the court said.TN Sets Up Revenue Panel Headed By Montek Singh Ahluwalia To Suggest Ways To Boost FinancesEarlier, the court had permitted the Government to distribute the appointment orders subject to judicial review.“It is the cause of the public that overrides every other factor. We are conscious of the fact that seeking compassionate employment there are wait lists in every department. It is not that employment is granted immediately on application being received. Employment is granted only in accordance with seniority and not with reference to the immediate nature of relief to be granted, the court said. When there is a waiting list it may not be appropriate to overlook their needs and extend what is termed as succour to family members of the deceased in the Karur stampede,” the order said. These appointments were in direct violation of the principles guaranteed to the citizens of the country under Article 14 and Article 16 of the Constitution, it added.#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: On the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court striking down the Tamil Nadu government's Government Orders (GOs) granting compassionate appointments to the kin of victims of the Karur stampede, DMK Spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai says, “It's a very… pic.twitter.com/G8UG2THyWJ— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2026

The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench on Monday quashed a Tamil Nadu government order that provided compassionate appointments to the families of those killed in the Karur stampede last September, ruling that the decision breached the constitutional principles of equality and equal opportunity in public employment.Tamil Nadu | The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has struck down the Tamil Nadu government's Government Orders (GOs) granting compassionate appointments to the kin of victims of the Karur stampede. pic.twitter.com/tSQQIvJydD— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2026 A Division Bench of Justice CV Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel held that the appointments were inconsistent with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The judges observed that several individuals are already awaiting compassionate appointments across government departments and said their claims could not be overlooked by extending similar benefits to the families affected by the Karur tragedy.The Bench also ruled that although the State relied on its executive powers under Article 162 to issue the order, those powers must be exercised within constitutional boundaries. It warned that permitting such appointments in the present case could create a precedent for similar demands following other tragedies, such as fire accidents or road crashes, where the government had traditionally limited relief to ex gratia compensation. The court suggested that the State could instead consider providing technical training and entrepreneurship support to help affected families become self-reliant.The verdict came in response to a public interest litigation challenging the government's decision to offer jobs to the families of 41 victims of the Karur stampede. While the petitioner argued that the move departed from the existing policy governing compassionate appointments, the State defended it as an exceptional measure aimed at providing lasting financial support to bereaved families.