Madras HC allows temporary jobs for Karur stampede families

The Madras High Court has allowed the Tamil Nadu government to proceed with offering temporary government jobs to the families of victims of the 2025 Karur stampede, while imposing strict conditions that the appointments remain provisional pending a full judicial review. The decision, issued on July 10, 2026, by a division bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel at the court's Madurai Bench, clears the way for a public function where Chief Minister Vijay was scheduled to distribute appointment letters to the families of the 41 deceased.

The court permitted the state to hold its scheduled function, noting it would be inappropriate to interfere with a government policy decision. However, it directed that the 32 appointment orders be issued on a strictly temporary basis, subject to the outcome of the pending legal challenge. The bench specified that the appointees should not receive their first salary until after the court conducts a full review, which it intends to complete before the end of July.

The order came in response to a petition filed by Madurai-based lawyer Theeran Thirumurugan, who challenged the government's decision to provide permanent employment to the...