Madras High Court Allows Temporary Jobs for Karur Stampede Victims

The Madras High Court permitted the Tamil Nadu government to provide government jobs to the families of 41 people killed during a stampede in Karur in September 2025. The tragedy occurred during a political rally organized by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party. The court's ruling allows Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to proceed with delivering appointment orders, though it mandated that these positions remain temporary and subject to further judicial review.

The decision follows a petition filed by lawyer Theeran Thirumurugan, who sought to block the appointments. Thirumurugan argued that granting public employment without a uniform policy was arbitrary, unreasonable, and contrary to the constitutional mandate under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. He contended that government employment is a valuable constitutional opportunity rather than an act of executive generosity, claiming that such appointments must satisfy requirements of equality, fairness, and transparency.

In its reasoning, the court indicated that it would be too narrow to interfere with a policy decision of the government, yet it maintained legal safeguards. To ensure the process aligns with established law, the court ordered the Member Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to file a report detailing the guidelines for compassionate appointments and verifying whether those guidelines were followed in this specific case.

The temporary nature of these jobs ensures that the state can provide immediate relief to the bereaved families while the court evaluates the long-term legality of the appointments based on the commission's upcoming report.