Now Reading: SC stays Madras HC order striking down Karur stampede jobs
-
01
SC stays Madras HC order striking down Karur stampede jobs
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Madras High Court order that had quashed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to give government jobs to family members of those killed in the Karur…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Madras High Court order that had quashed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to give government jobs to family members of those killed in the Karur stampede. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran issued notice on the state government's appeal and posted the case for further hearing on October 7.
The Madurai Bench of the High Court had on July 27 struck down the appointments, saying they would open floodgates for similar demands and violate constitutional equality. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had distributed appointment orders to 31 relatives of the 41 people who died in the September 27, 2025 stampede during a TVK roadshow. The Supreme Court orally questioned the petitioners' right to challenge a policy aimed at helping families that lost their sole breadwinner.
The Indian Opinion
The Supreme Court's intervention checks a High Court order that risked sounding tone-deaf to tragedy, but a larger question remains. Critics argue the government bypassed the standard compassionate appointment queue, disadvantaging lakhs of waitlisted candidates. However, the state's executive power under Article 162 does allow humane gestures in exceptional disasters. The real test will be whether the final judgment sets a precedent that any crowd crush could trigger job doling, or restricts it to calamities where the breadwinner alone dies. Can the court craft a principle that is both compassionate and constitutional?
Sources (3): thehindubusinessline.com, rediff.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
