Madras HC strikes down TN order granting jobs to Karur stampede victims' families

Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, on Monday, July 27, quashed a Tamil Nadu government order (GO) granting government jobs to the family members of those who died in the Karur stampede during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) election rally in September 2025. The court held that the decision violated the constitutional guarantees of equality in public employment.A Division Bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel held that the appointments were contrary to Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and equal opportunity in public employment."There are many who wait seeking employment," the Bench observed, adding that it was "not appropriate to overlook their needs" by extending government jobs to the families of the Karur stampede victims. The judges held that the appointments were in direct violation of the constitutional guarantees under Articles 14 and 16.The state defended the decision by invoking its executive powers under Article 162 (extent of executive power of State) of the Constitution. However, the Bench held that executive authority must be exercised within constitutional limits."Exercise of executive power must be within the constitutional limits. If executive action were to be left unfettered and given free hand, chaos will reign," the court observed.The judges also cautioned that permitting such appointments in the Karur case could pave the way for similar demands following other tragedies, including industrial accidents, fireworks explosions and road accidents, where victims' families had received ex gratia compensation but not government employment.The Bench suggested that, instead of providing government jobs, the state could have supported the bereaved families through skill development and entrepreneurship programmes."We wonder why the government could not have extended training in skills and entrepreneurship for deserving members of families. The government would be creating leaders, entrepreneurs, self-sufficient individuals," the judges observed, adding that the state could bear the cost of such training.The observations came while disposing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Madurai-based lawyer Theeran Thirumurugan, who challenged the GO issued by the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government granting jobs to the families of the 41 people who died in the Karur stampede.Emphasising the significance of public employment, the Bench said government jobs could not be distributed as a form of relief."Public employment is not to be thrown away by the State. It has to be earned. Its value has to be realised. Its importance is to be cherished. There are many who wait seeking employment," the court said.The judgment comes less than three weeks after the same Bench permitted the TVK-led government to distribute appointment orders to the victims' families.On July 10, the court allowed the government to hand over the appointment orders but clarified that the appointments would be temporary and subject to the outcome of the case.Defending the GO, Advocate General Vijay Narayan argued that the appointments were an exceptional humanitarian measure intended to provide long-term support to families who had lost their breadwinners in the tragedy.He submitted that the government had consciously exercised its executive powers under Article 162 to rehabilitate the affected families, arguing that monetary compensation alone could not adequately address their loss."There cannot be rules in situations like this because these are all totally unanticipated situations which occurred due to a combination of events. Certainly they deserve some succour. Apart from money, a job will sustain the family in the long run. In these circumstances, a GO was passed," the Advocate General said.He also rejected allegations that the decision to grant government jobs to the victims' families was politically motivated.Following the tragedy in September 2025, the then ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to each bereaved family. Vijay also extended financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to each family and met the victims' relatives in October 2025.After assuming office, the TVK government issued a GO granting government jobs to the victims' families. Chief Minister Vijay later handed over appointment orders to 32 family members of the deceased.