Jobs Given to Karur Victims Cancelled

The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench has cancelled the government jobs granted to the families of victims who died in the Karur stampede during a TVK campaign rally last year. A total of 41 people lost their lives in the incident, and recently Chief Minister Vijay had issued appointment letters to 31 affected families. A Public Interest Litigation challenging these appointments was filed before the bench comprising Justices Karthikeyan and Sakthivel, which heard the case on Monday and delivered the verdict cancelling the jobs.

During the hearing, the judges questioned why the affected families could not be supported through self-employment training instead of government jobs. They noted that many candidates are waiting for compassionate appointments and asked why priority was given only to the Karur victims’ families. The bench also raised concerns about similar relief not being extended to victims of road accidents or frequent firecracker factory blasts in places like Sivakasi. Concluding that the decision lacked uniformity, the court set aside the job appointments.