Karur stampede victim’s kin says plea for CBI probe filed without family’s knowledge: Report
Chennai: A fresh controversy has emerged in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede, with two bereaved families claiming that petitions seeking the investigation were filed in their names without their knowledge or consent, The News Minute reported on Monday.
The Supreme Court on October 13 directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the Karur stampede, which took place on September 27, 2025, during a rally by actor-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The incident claimed 41 lives and injured nearly 60 others.
One of the petitions before the Supreme Court was filed by Aadhav Arjuna, TVK’s general secretary (election strategy), seeking to quash the Madras High Court’s order for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incident.
Two other petitions, demanding a CBI inquiry, were filed by P. Panneerselvam from Alamarathupatti, who lost his nine-year-old son, Prathik, and P. Selvaraj from Emur Puthur, who lost his wife S. Chandra.
However, in a surprising turn, Chandru, the maternal uncle of Prathik, denied the family's involvement in the petition. He claimed that Panneerselvam had abandoned the family when the child was just one-year-old and had not been in contact for the past eight years.
“My sister Sharmila spoke to Vijay in a video call and he paid his condolences. We did not file any petition in the Supreme Court. We came to know about Panneerselvam’s petition only after police asked about it a few days ago. We have not spoken to Panneerselvam for the past eight years, and he did not attend the funeral as well. We are still in deep grief after losing our child and have no interest in pursuing justice or legal matters”, TNM quoted Chandru as saying.
In a similar claim, Selvaraj, the other reported petitioner, told the media that he had no knowledge of filing a petition in the Supreme Court. “I don’t know the advocate at all. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Emur Panchayat Council leader Balakrishnan asked me to sign some papers. I signed them, but I told him not to misuse them. He said the signatures were for getting compensation and a government job for my elder son. I don’t know anything about this case,” said Selvaraj, a daily wage worker.
VCK Balakrishnan, an advocate and AIADMK functionary, admitted to assisting with the petition but denied any misconduct. “When I was the panchayat president, Selvaraj’s brother Murugesan was a ward member. He approached me seeking help to find out the real reason behind Chandra’s death. That’s why the petition was filed in Selvaraj’s name,” he explained.
“Now, due to pressure, Selvaraj is saying on social media that I deceived him with false promises of a job. But when I took his signature, his brother Murugesan was also present,” TNM quoted Balakrishnan as saying.
Meanwhile, a bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria said the Karur stampede “has a bearing on the fundamental rights of citizens and has shaken the national conscience,” emphasising that a fair and impartial investigation is warranted.
The Court also mentioned that citizens are entitled to a thorough probe and that there cannot be any doubt about the need for an unbiased investigation.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
