This special report focuses on the Supreme Court ordering a CBI probe into the Karur stampede which claimed 41 lives during a rally by actor Vijay’s party, the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). The TVK had alleged a conspiracy, with a party representative stating, ‘I don’t know if the Chief Justice of Chennai High Court will be neutral or transparent. Because the Chief Justice of Chennai High Court has already declared that we have committed the crime.’ The Supreme Court’s decision transfers the case from a state-appointed SIT and also establishes a three-member committee headed by former SC judge Ajay Rastogi to supervise the CBI investigation. The ruling, which was critical of the Madras High Court’s handling of the case, has intensified the political conflict between the TVK and the ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu, which opposed the central agency’s involvement.