‘Shouldn’t govt give employment?’ SC stays HC order on jobs for Karur victims' kin
The Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order regarding government jobs. This order had previously struck down the Tamil Nadu government's decision for stampede victims' relatives. The Supreme Court questioned the challenge to the government's policy for affected families. The High Court had quashed appointments, citing existing guidelines and potential demands. The Supreme Court's stay…
The Supreme Court temporarily halted a Madras High Court decision that had invalidated the Tamil Nadu government's plan to give government jobs to relatives of the victims of the Karur stampede. The decision also ordered the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and other respondents to respond to a legal challenge against the high court's ruling.
During the Supreme Court hearing, the bench questioned the legitimacy of questioning the government's job policy. The bench famously asked, "Shouldn't the government provide employment to someone who lost a sole family member in such a tragedy?" The bench argued that the government had the right to take this step.
The Madras High Court had on July 27 struck down the government's decision to give jobs to Karur stampede victims' relatives. The court believed that such appointments could set a dangerous precedent, opening the door for similar demands from families affected by other tragedies. The high court also pointed out existing guidelines for compassionate appointments and the large number of people already waiting for government employment.
The case revolved around the September 27, 2025 stampede in Karur, where 41 people died and over 100 were injured during a political meeting. The Tamil Nadu government subsequently provided employment to eligible relatives of the deceased. The chief minister, C Joseph Vijay, appointed 31 family members to government positions on July 10.
The high court ruled that public employment could not be seen as a form of favoritism by the state and emphasized that government jobs should only be granted within the framework of constitutional principles. The court had also expressed sympathy for the Karur victims' families but made a distinction between their case and that of personnel who pass away while serving the nation.
The Supreme Court's decision to stay the Madras High Court's order means the ruling will not be implemented until the apex court reviews the challenge.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
