The Supreme Court on Friday put a temporary hold on the Madras High Court order that had cancelled the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to offer government jobs to eligible family members of people who died in the Karur stampede.
A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran also issued notice on the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against the High Court ruling.
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The bench questioned why the government should be stopped from offering employment as part of relief to families who lost their earning members. The court noted that the stampede was a tragic incident in which several people died and the State had already decided to provide compensation.
It asked why the government could not go further and give a job to a family member, especially in cases where the deceased was the family’s sole breadwinner.
High Court had rejected special job policy
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had struck down the government’s orders on July 27.
The High Court said the policy could not be defended under the constitutional guarantees of equality before law and equal opportunity in public employment under Articles 14 and 16. It also pointed out that many people were already waiting for compassionate appointments in government departments.
The court had examined whether Tamil Nadu could create a separate category of government employment for families affected by the Karur tragedy. It held that even executive decisions and government policies must remain within constitutional limits.
Appointments linked to September 2025 tragedy
The dispute began after the September 2025 Karur stampede, in which people lost their lives. The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had decided to offer jobs to eligible members of victims’ families as part of its relief and rehabilitation package.
The High Court had earlier allowed the government on July 10 to temporarily move ahead with the appointments. That permission was subject to the final outcome of the legal challenge.
The latest Supreme Court order means the High Court’s decision will not operate for now while the State’s challenge is considered.
State and victims present their arguments
Tamil Nadu was represented by Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mukul Rohatgi, along with Advocates Pranjal Agarwal, Dixita Gohil, Prashanto Sen and Vrinda Bhandari.
Senior Advocate Arundhati Katju appeared for the families of the Karur stampede victims.