Chennai, July 27:
The Madras High Court on Monday set aside the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to provide government jobs to the families of victims who died in the Karur stampede, ruling that such appointments cannot be made outside established legal frameworks governing public employment.
The State government had earlier announced relief measures following the tragic incident, under which 31 family members of the deceased were offered government jobs. In addition, one individual was granted a solatium of ₹10 lakh. The announcement was made by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay during an event held in Karur earlier this month.
The matter came up for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and Sakthivel, following a batch of petitions challenging the legality of the government’s decision to grant employment to the legal heirs of the victims.
During the proceedings, the Government Pleader, appearing for the State, informed the court that a counter affidavit was yet to be filed and sought additional time. However, the Bench indicated urgency in the matter, observing that the issue required immediate adjudication before the beneficiaries received their first month’s salary.
The court was further informed that appointment orders had already been issued to 31 of whom 29 had joined service. Taking note of this, the judges clarified that all such appointments would remain subject to the final outcome of the case.
In its ruling, the High Court emphasised that compassionate or relief-based appointments must strictly adhere to constitutional principles and statutory rules governing recruitment in public service. It noted that while the State has the authority to extend financial or welfare assistance to victims’ families, granting government jobs without following due process could violate norms of equal opportunity.