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How Madras HC tore into TVK and Vijay over Karur stampede: ‘Main leader fled, vanished'
The Madras high court judge questioned why TVK leaders, Vijay abandoned the site soon after the stampede, wondering, “What kind of party is this?”
The Madras High Court on Friday came down heavily on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and its chief, actor-turned-politician Vijay, over last week’s Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives, describing it as a “huge man-made disaster.”
Justice N Senthilkumar, hearing a public interest litigation on the incident, ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) under IPS officer Asra Garg to probe the tragedy. The court also directed the Tamil Nadu government to prohibit political rallies and roadshows on state and national highways until Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are finalised.
The stampede occurred on September 27 at Velusamypuram near Karur when a crowd of more than 60,000 people surged past barricades as Vijay took the stage. Of the 41 dead many were women and children who had travelled from across the state to attend the rally.
‘The leader fled…what kind of party is this?’
Without naming Vijay directly, justice Senthilkumar said the party leadership abandoned supporters at the site. “The main leader (Vijay) too fled from the scene of occurrence, and vanished,” he remarked.
The judge also expressed anguish that women and children had been among the dead, yet the party had failed to express remorse.
“What kind of party is this? Everybody in the party fled from the place. Why has the police not issued any notice to the party...The court highly condemns such an act of the political party especially when children and women have died. You have not even expressed remorse. This shows the mental state of the leader,” the single judge remarked.
‘This was a huge man-made disaster’
Calling the stampede one of the worst tragedies in recent times, justice Senthilkumar said, “This was a huge man-made disaster. The entire world witnessed the unfortunate incident. Everyone right from the President to the Prime Minister has expressed condolences. But the police action does not appear to be adequate.”
The judge questioned why the police had arrested only two people so far and asked what more had been done to ensure accountability.
‘Is this not a case of hit and run?’
Justice Senthilkumar further flagged videos from the rally showing vehicles running over two-wheelers. “The driver witnessed it yet did not stop the bus. Is this not a case of hit and run? Why was no case registered?"
“Police have not taken cognisance of it. How can the state take it lightly?” he asked, suggesting leniency was being shown to the organisers.
The court also criticised the lack of basic facilities such as drinking water at the venue and asked why no preventive steps were taken despite anticipating a massive turnout.
‘Does this mean you should not be cautious?’
When the state argued that TVK had advanced the rally date without notice and misled its supporters through social media, the judge countered that this did not absolve the administration.
“Does this mean you should not be more cautious and vigilant in assessing the crowd?” he asked.
The court then directed the state to ensure stricter rules for political gatherings and said SIT members, led by inspector general Asra Garg, would probe the lapses.
(Inputs from HT correspondent)
