The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench on Monday quashed a Tamil Nadu government order that provided compassionate appointments to the families of those killed in the Karur stampede last September, ruling that the decision breached the constitutional principles of equality and equal opportunity in public employment.
A Division Bench of Justice CV Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel held that the appointments were inconsistent with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The judges observed that several individuals are already awaiting compassionate appointments across government departments and said their claims could not be overlooked by extending similar benefits to the families affected by the Karur tragedy.
The Bench also ruled that although the State relied on its executive powers under Article 162 to issue the order, those powers must be exercised within constitutional boundaries. It warned that permitting such appointments in the present case could create a precedent for similar demands following other tragedies, such as fire accidents or road crashes, where the government had traditionally limited relief to ex gratia compensation. The court suggested that the State could instead consider providing technical training and entrepreneurship support to help affected families become self-reliant.
The verdict came in response to a public interest litigation challenging the government's decision to offer jobs to the families of 41 victims of the Karur stampede. While the petitioner argued that the move departed from the existing policy governing compassionate appointments, the State defended it as an exceptional measure aimed at providing lasting financial support to bereaved families.
