Madras HC strikes down order giving government jobs to kin of Karur stampede victims
The bench said that such actions were not appropriate when there was a waiting list for appointments to public jobs on compassionate grounds.
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Monday struck down a Tamil Nadu government order granting government jobs on compassionate grounds to the family members of the persons who died in the Karur stampede, Live Law reported.
The stampede took place on September 27 at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay’s rally in Karur district when he was addressing supporters from his campaign vehicle. Forty-one persons had died in the stampede.
Vijay went on to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10 after his party became the single-largest party in the Assembly elections.
A division bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel held that the appointments of the family members of the victims of the stampede violated constitutional provisions pertaining to the right to equality and the right to equal opportunity in matters of public employment.
The bench observed that many people were waiting for compassionate appointments in government departments.
“When there is a waiting list, it is not appropriate to overlook their needs and extend what is termed as succor to family members of the Karur incident,” Live Law quoted the court as saying.
The court also observed that allowing compassionate appointments in the stampede case could open the floodgates for claims in other cases, such as firework explosions and road accidents. The court said that even if the loss of lives in other incidents is caused due to state inaction, the victims’ families are typically given only ex gratia compensation and not government jobs.
The bench instead asked the government why it did not provide training in skills and entrepreneurship for deserving members of the families.
“The government would be creating leaders, entrepreneurs, self-sufficient individuals in each family who can later provide employment to others,” Live Law quoted the court as saying.
On July 10, the bench had allowed the Tamil Nadu government to provide government jobs to the families of those killed in the Karur stampede. However, it clarified that the appointments would be temporary and subject to judicial review.
Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.
