India, July 7 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday disapproved of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s attempt to seek judicial restraint on Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay and other ruling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leaders from making public statements on the Karur stampede. It observed that the court could not be converted into a "political fora" to settle political battles.

A bench of justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe declined to entertain an application, repeatedly underlining that it would neither curtail free speech nor issue directions contrary to its earlier orders directing a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the tragedy.

Faced with the bench's strong observations, senior advocate R...