Hours after the Supreme Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Tamil Nadu stampede tragedy that killed 41 people, actor-turned-politician Vijay said he hoped "justice will prevail".
The apex court has directed that the CBI investigation will be supervised by a three-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi. The court also ordered that the committee would devise its own procedure, with the CBI required to submit monthly progress reports to it.
The tragedy took place during a TVK event in Karur last month, where a crowd surge led to the deaths of at least 41 people, including several women and children. The TVK had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court's direction for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incident.
In a significant observation, the Supreme Court said the Madras High Court should not have taken up the case since the Madurai Bench had territorial jurisdiction over the matter.
Confirming the party's stance, TVK General Secretary (Propaganda and Policy) Arun Raj told NDTV, "We are happy the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe, which is exactly what we asked for. We hope truth will prevail and justice will be served."
He added, "We can't say anything beyond this now as the CBI will investigate. The Madras High Court should not have taken up this case-it wasn't under its jurisdiction."
When asked about Vijay's plans to visit the families of the victims, Arun Raj said, "We are working on TVK Chief Vijay's visit to Karur to meet the families. We are actively finalising the venue for the meeting."
Responding to reports that some of the victim families had alleged they were misled into signing petitions seeking a CBI probe, Arun Raj said, "A few victim families have changed their stand. We want the court to investigate this too. The little boy's father who abandoned the family seems to have vested interests. TVK did not file petitions on behalf of victims."
Speaking separately in Delhi, Aadhav Arjuna, another TVK General Secretary, said, "Mr. Vijay wants to adopt all affected families and be part of their life journey."
While TVK has welcomed the Supreme Court's order, political observers say the development could trigger a political churn in Tamil Nadu, with both the AIADMK and its ally BJP attempting to woo the fledgling party.
Vijay, who has maintained a cordial tone towards the AIADMK, has repeatedly asserted that he would never ally with the BJP, calling it his "ideological enemy."
