India
Madras High Court Annuls Government Jobs for Karur Stampede Victims' Families
The court ruled that appointments made by the TVK government for families of the 41 victims violated constitutional principles of equality and fairness.
The Madras High Court has cancelled government orders that provided jobs to the family members of those who died in a stampede in Karur in September last year. The Madurai Bench of the court, comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel, delivered the verdict on Monday, asserting that the appointments were in direct violation of the principles enshrined in Article 14 and Article 16 of the Constitution of India.
The court's decision highlighted that extending such government appointments would be unjust to the multitude of applicants who have been awaiting compassionate appointments across various government departments. It also observed that allowing these orders to stand could "open floodgates" for similar demands, potentially undermining established recruitment processes.
The stampede, which occurred during a rally organised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) last September, resulted in the deaths of at least 41 people. Following the tragic incident, the C. Joseph Vijay-led government, headed by the TVK chief, issued orders to offer government employment to the kin of the victims.
However, the Madurai Bench had previously indicated that any employment offer made by the TVK government would be subject to judicial review. The recent ruling reaffirms this stance, underscoring the judiciary's role in scrutinising executive decisions that impact public employment. The striking down of these orders represents a considerable setback for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and his TVK government.
Reporting by the The Indian Morning Post Editorial Desk.
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