The Madras High Court on Monday quashed the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to provide government jobs to the families of 41 people who died in the Karur stampede, holding that the appointments violated the constitutional guarantees of equality and equal opportunity in public employment.
A Division Bench comprising Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel ruled that the government order was inconsistent with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution and observed that the state’s executive powers could not override the constitutional framework governing recruitment to public service.
The stampede occurred during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) election rally in Karur in September 2025. After assuming office, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s government announced that one eligible member from each victim’s family would be offered a government job as a rehabilitation measure.
On July 10, Chief Minister Vijay handed over appointment orders to 32 beneficiaries. While allowing the ceremony to proceed, the High Court had earlier clarified that the appointments would remain temporary and subject to the outcome of the legal challenge.
Court Stresses Constitutional Recruitment Process
Setting aside the government order, the Bench observed that thousands of candidates were awaiting public employment through established recruitment procedures and that their rights could not be bypassed by creating a separate category of appointments.
“Public employment is not to be thrown away by the State. It has to be earned,” the Court observed, emphasising that government jobs provide long-term livelihood and security and cannot be treated merely as a form of compensation.
The Bench also cautioned that upholding such appointments could create a precedent for similar demands from families affected by industrial accidents, firecracker factory explosions, road accidents and other tragedies where governments traditionally provide financial compensation instead of employment.
Government’s Humanitarian Argument Rejected
Defending its decision, the Tamil Nadu government argued that the appointments were an exceptional humanitarian measure aimed at providing sustained support to families who had lost their primary earners.
Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that financial compensation alone was insufficient and that the state had exercised its executive powers under Article 162 of the Constitution to rehabilitate the affected families.
The High Court, however, rejected the contention, holding that executive powers must always operate within constitutional limitations.
The Bench noted that compassionate appointments are already regulated under established rules and waiting lists, primarily for dependants of government employees who die while in service, and cannot be extended beyond the prescribed legal framework.
Alternative Rehabilitation Measures Suggested
The Court suggested that the government could instead assist the affected families through technical education, skill development programmes, entrepreneurship support and other livelihood initiatives without violating constitutional principles governing public employment.
The judgment was delivered in a public interest litigation filed by Madurai-based advocate Theeran Thirumurugan, who challenged the legality of the government’s order.
The Bench refrained from making any observations on responsibility for the Karur stampede, noting that the incident is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
According to reports, the Tamil Nadu government is expected to challenge the High Court’s verdict before the Supreme Court.
