New Delhi, 07 July (H.S.): The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday withdrew its petition from the Supreme Court concerning allegations of witness tampering in the Karur stampede case that occurred during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay's rally in 2025. A Bench headed by Justice K.V. Viswanathan permitted the withdrawal, observing that the Court did not wish to intervene in a political battle and that political contests should remain outside the courtroom.

During the hearing, the Bench told the petitioner, DMK leader R.S. Bharathi, that the Court did not intend to become involved in political disputes. The Court questioned how a political rival could be made an intervenor in the case and asked whether the DMK intended to regulate Chief Minister Vijay's visit to Karur.

In his petition, Bharathi had stated that the Supreme Court, on October 13, 2025, had ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede. He alleged that some of the accused in the case were attempting to influence witnesses and claimed that they were ministers in the present state government.

The stampede occurred on September 27, 2025, during a public rally addressed by Vijay in Karur. Subsequently, on October 13, 2025, the Supreme Court directed that the CBI investigation be overseen by a three-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi.

The committee also includes two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the Tamil Nadu cadre who are not natives of the state, to ensure independent oversight of the investigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar