The Madras High Court, Madurai bench, will hear the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party’s plea seeking a CBI or Special Investigation Team probe into an alleged conspiracy behind the stampede at Vijay’s rally in Karur today. Several allegations were made by the party against the State government and the police for failing to anticipate and handle the crowd crush.
The party has also filed a petition seeking security for Vijay to meet the victims of the tragedy.
Criminal cases were opened against multiple TVK party members by Karur police, including TVK general secretary Bussy Anand, deputy general secretary C.T. Nirmal Kumar, and Karur district secretary Mathiazhagan, under multiple sections of the BNS.
Vijay was not mentioned in the FIR. Analysts said that the tragedy would cast a shadow on the party and its political leaders' careers. Tharasu Shyam, who spoke to The Print, said, “In Tamil Nadu politics, symbolism matters. The first big campaign sets the tone. For this to end in deaths is a huge setback. TVK’s response to the crisis will determine whether it recovers or gets branded as irresponsible.”
A victim of the crowd crush, Senthilkannan also petitioned the court to restrain authorities from granting permission for any future TVK rallies until the investigation is done and safety protocols are put up.
Senthilkannan argued that the tragedy was caused due to reckless planning and gross mismanagement with total disregard for public safety. He stated that the organisers allowed the crowd to gather without restrictions and failed to provide adequate barricades. He also said that the campaign vehicles were positioned in a way that allowed the dangerous crush, the Times of India reported.
The FIR was registered under BNS sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 106 (causing death by negligence).
He said that permitting further rallies by the TVK party and Vijay, its founder, when the Karur investigations are ongoing, would be like placing more lives in peril. He added that the public's confidence in the state and its machinery would be shaken if no action and steps were taken to prevent a recurrence.
The death toll from Saturday night's stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur has risen to 41 after a 65-year-old woman, Suguna, succumbed to her injuries.
The woman died at Karur government medical college hospital, where dozens of others are being treated for injuries sustained at the crowd crush. Among the 41 dead, 18 were women and 10 were children.
Meanwhile, a new investigating officer, ADSP Premanandan, has been appointed for the case.
