Chennai, July 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench has set aside a Tamil Nadu government order that granted compassionate appointments to the families of those who lost their lives in the Karur stampede in September 2025, holding that the decision violated the constitutional principles of equality and equal opportunity in public employment.
A Division Bench comprising Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel ruled that compassionate appointments cannot be extended through executive orders in a manner that bypasses established constitutional and legal safeguards.
The court observed that compassionate appointments are intended solely to provide immediate financial relief to the family of a government employee who dies while in service. Such appointments, it said, cannot be treated as a general relief measure for victims of public tragedies.
The Bench further held that the executive powers of the state under Article 162 of the Constitution are subject to constitutional limitations and cannot override the guarantees provided under Articles 14 and 16, which ensure equality before the law and equal opportunity in matters of public employment.
In its judgment, the court noted that the government’s decision failed to consider the interests of thousands of eligible applicants already awaiting compassionate appointments across various government departments. Granting jobs to the families of the Karur stampede victims, it said, would place them ahead of others waiting under the existing policy framework, resulting in unequal treatment.
Rejecting the state’s argument that the appointments were made under its executive authority, the Bench clarified that administrative powers cannot be exercised in violation of constitutional principles.
“Exercise of executive power must be within the constitutional limits. If executive action were to be left unfettered and given free hand, chaos will reign,” the court observed.
While acknowledging the tragic nature of the Karur stampede and the government’s intention to support the affected families, the High Court said the state remains free to provide financial assistance or other forms of relief. However, it stressed that public employment cannot be offered in a manner that compromises the constitutional guarantees of fairness, equality and merit.
The ruling reiterates that compassionate appointments remain an exception to the normal recruitment process and must be governed strictly by statutory provisions and constitutional norms.
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