SC Gives Vijay A Crucial Breather

Actor-turned-politician Vijay walked away with an important, though limited, victory in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The Court was hearing a plea seeking to restrain Vijay and Tamil Nadu ministers from commenting publicly on the CBI probe into the Karur stampede case. The petitioner argued that such statements could influence the investigation.

The Bench, however, showed little interest in imposing such a restriction.

Justice Viswanathan questioned whether the Supreme Court should place an injunction on free speech, observing that political speech is generally best answered through political speech, not court orders.

Vijay received another boost when the petitioner’s counsel referred to him as “Accused No.1.” The Bench immediately clarified that Vijay is not an accused in the FIR.

Sensing the Court’s mood, the petitioner withdrew the application.

The CBI investigation will continue as before. But for Vijay, the hearing carried clear political significance. The Supreme Court declined to restrict his public comments and also ensured that the court record did not wrongly portray him as an accused.

In politics, a court’s refusal to intervene can sometimes be as significant as a direct order.