In a significant ruling on Monday, October 27, 2025, the Madras High Court mandated that the Tamil Nadu government develop a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within ten days. This crucial directive comes in the wake of the devastating Karur stampede, which tragically killed 41 people during actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s political campaign on September 27. The court aims to prevent similar catastrophes at future political gatherings and rallies across the state.
Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan explicitly informed Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran that the proposed SOP must be submitted to the court by November 11. Failure to comply, they warned, would result in the court issuing a directive requiring all requests for political meeting permits to be filed ten days in advance, with police processing these applications at least three days prior to the event.
This interim order originated from a writ petition by Mr. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), lodged well before the Karur incident. The petition initially challenged the ‘burdensome’ conditions imposed by the police on their campaigns. Following the tragedy, numerous other petitions from concerned citizens further underscored the urgent need for a robust SOP or clear guidelines to safely manage political meetings and protect attendees.
Senior counsel V. Raghavachari, representing TVK, argued before the Chief Justice’s Bench that state police should be instructed to approve political campaign permissions significantly in advance. This would allow political parties adequate time to make essential arrangements. He alleged that permission for the ill-fated Karur rally on September 27 was issued a mere day before the event.
The Additional Advocate General vehemently refuted this claim, stating that the allegations were unsubstantiated, with documents readily available to disprove them. He explained that TVK had initially planned their Karur political campaign for December. However, a sudden change of plans led to an application being submitted on September 25 for an event scheduled for September 27.
The Chief Justice, aiming to steer clear of political entanglements, advised the AAG that accusations would invariably target the ruling party, thus necessitating careful handling of such matters by the State. He emphasized that all political parties bear the responsibility to submit applications for their gatherings far in advance, and the police, in turn, must process these applications within a reasonable timeframe.
Given the numerous petitions advocating for the creation of an SOP, the Chief Justice initially allowed the State government only a week to formulate it. However, upon the AAG’s explanation that extensive consultations would be required with various agencies—including civic bodies, police, health, and fire & rescue services departments—the First Division Bench extended the deadline to ten days for submitting the draft.
Meanwhile, senior counsel Vijay Narayan, representing the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), informed the Bench that his party, as the primary opposition in the State, had filed an impleading petition earlier that Monday. Their goal was to be included as a respondent in TVK’s case, allowing them to offer suggestions for regulating political meetings and rallies.
As AIADMK’s impleading petition had not yet been formally processed or scheduled for hearing, the judges opted to address it once it was officially presented later in the week. Additionally, they dismissed a writ petition from BJP councillor Uma Anandan, which called for a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, noting that the Supreme Court had already reassigned the probe to the CBI.
‘Bussy’ Anand’s Bail Plea
The court also allowed TVK general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand (also known as N. Anand) to withdraw his second anticipatory bail petition, which was related to a culpable homicide case filed against him and other party leaders following the Karur stampede.
Furthermore, in response to senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s request for a brief deferment, the judges agreed to hear a petition in the afternoon session. This petition, filed by TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna, sought to quash a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against him for an allegedly inflammatory tweet. The tweet had hinted at a youth and Gen Z revolt against the Tamil Nadu Government, drawing parallels to events in Sri Lanka and Nepal.