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Toll in Karur stampede climbs, cops blame TVK
The bodies of the 40 people – including 17 women and nine children – who died in the TVK stampede at Karur on Saturday were sent to their families as angry questions mounted about why a crowd higher the permitted size was allowed to assemble in the sweltering heat
The death toll in the stampede at actor Vijay’s political rally in southern Tamil Nadu rose to 40 on Sunday as a senior police officer ruled out intelligence failure and appeared to blame delays at the event for the tragedy that the Madras high court called a “shocking incident”.
The bodies of the 40 people – including 17 women and nine children – who died in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) stampede at Karur on Saturday were sent to their families as angry questions mounted about why a crowd higher the permitted size was allowed to assemble in the sweltering heat. Over a 100 were injured.
The first information report – filed at Karur town police station – charged TVK’s Karur (north) district secretary Madhiazhagan, general secretary Bussy Anand, and joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 125 (endangering life of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Additional director general of police (law and order) Davidson Devasirvatham ruled out any intelligence failure and lapses. “Vijay also arrived three hours late to the venue in Karur after his rally in nearby Namakkal district,” he said.
About 500 police personnel were on the ground for TVK’s Saturday rally while only 137 were deployed at former chief minister E Palaniswami’s rally, as more people were expected for Vijay’s campaign, said Devasirvatham.
The police on ground had asked organisers to stop Vijay’s specially designed campaign bus at least 50 metres before the designated spot. “But, they insisted on parking where they had planned. And for 10 minutes, the leader (Vijay) didn’t come out of the vehicle which made the crowd go restless because they wanted to see him,” Devasirvatham said.
Officials said the TVK sought permission for 10,000 people at the venue but the crowd had swelled to about 25,000. “They had not made ample arrangements such as drinking water and they didn’t follow the conditions laid down by the police while giving permission,” a senior official said, not wishing to be named.
The Madras high court called the stampede a “shocking incident” and expressed “deep sorrow”. The TVK counsel, S Arivazhagan, alleged a political conspiracy behind the incident and sought a court-monitored probe, or, an investigation by any “independent agency.”
Justice M Dhandapani, before whom the plea was mentioned at his residence in Chennai, said the case will be heard by the Madurai bench on Monday if the petition was filed and numbered in time.
Arivazhagan also levelled allegations against the Tamil Nadu government and the state police. He alleged that autopsies on those who had died in the stampede had been conducted in a rush, without identifying the bodies.
Another petition was filed by N Senthilkannan, who suffered injuries at the rally and sought the TVK to be barred from holding further rallies and public meetings until all inquiries into the stampede were complete.
Justice N Senthilkumar initially listed the plea for hearing on Sunday evening, but later cancelled the hearing after noting it was an impleading petition in a pending case and not a fresh matter before the vacation bench presided over by him.
The tragedy unfolded around 8pm on Saturday at Velusamypuram on the Karur-Erode highway when the surging crowd of over 60,000 broke past barricades as Vijay appeared on stage. Many victims were women and children who had travelled from across western Tamil Nadu to see Vijay, a Tamil cinema icon.
Vijay, facing flak from various quarters, also announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh each to the families of the victims, while expressing profound grief over the incident.
Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, who leads the single-person Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Tamil Nadu government, visited a Karur hospital, spoke to the affected people and officials, and inspected the scene of the stampede.
Chief minister MK Stalin, deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin and leaders of political parties including Leader of Opposition Palaniswami, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nainar Nagenthran and K Annamalai, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan, Pattali Makkal Katchi top leader Anbumani Ramadoss visited the hospital. Celebrities including Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan condoled the deaths.
Answering a question on the possibility of Vijay’s arrest, the CM said any action, to be considered, would be based on the report of the inquiry panel and asserted that he was not inclined to make any comment with a political motive. “Once the truth is revealed, strict action will definitely be taken.”
“The campaign over the weekend was the reason for the deaths of women and children,” said Annamalai, calling for the TVK to take responsibility. A week ago, EPS had held a rally at the same venue with a leaner crowd but it went on without any incident.
Vijay, however, left from the venue and reached his residence in Chennai on Saturday night where he avoided the media and posted on X expressing his anguish.
Among the victims were a couple who were to wed in October. Some lost their family’s sole breadwinners. A two-year-old girl lost her mother. The youngest victim was also two.
At least 52 people are undergoing treatment. “Only two patients are in critical condition in the ventilator, the others are alright,” said Suganthy Rajakumari, director of medical education in Karur.
Senthilkumar’s impleading petition in the HC was related to a previous case where the TVK had challenged what it called “onerous” restrictions on its rallies. At the last hearing in the previous case on September 18 this year, another judge of the Madras high court had suggested that the police and the state come up with a uniform system, including set conditions for all political parties to hold public rallies. The court had also said at the time that Vijay, as TVK chief, must ensure safe conduct of events and “set an example” by asking pregnant women and persons with disabilities to stay away from such gatherings.
The court had also remarked that political events often resulted in damage to property and suggested that parties furnish security deposits to cover losses. But the state police had told the court that no legal provision existed for such deposits, and the HC had then impleaded the Tamil Nadu chief secretary and home secretary, directing them to frame a policy by October 16.
