The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court is scheduled to hear an urgent petition today filed by actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay's party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), seeking an independent probe into the tragic stampede at its political rally in Karur on Saturday.
The TVK's plea, which is expected to be taken up this afternoon, requests a probe by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT), with the party openly alleging that the disaster was not an accident but a result of a "conspiracy."
TVK Alleges Conspiracy, Officials Blame Poor Management
The TVK leadership, including its joint general secretary, C T R Nirmal Kumar, has claimed that a sudden power cut, a police lathi-charge, and stone-pelting at the venue contributed to the panic that led to the crush.
Conversely, Tamil Nadu government officials and the police department have strongly refuted these claims, pointing the finger at the TVK organisers for gross mismanagement and violation of permission guidelines.
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Police Counter-Argument: Police officials stated that the TVK had secured permission for approximately 10,000 attendees, yet the crowd swelled to over 25,000–27,000 due to Vijay’s six-hour-long delay in arrival.
They argue that the party failed to provide adequate amenities like drinking water and insisted on positioning the campaign vehicle in an unsafe manner, directly triggering the uncontrollable surge that caused the stampede. -
Government Action: In response to the tragedy, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh for the deceased and ₹1 lakh for the injured.
More critically, the government has formed a one-member Commission of Inquiry led by retired High Court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to conduct a thorough investigation, with initial proceedings already underway.
Legal Pressure Mounts on TVK
The TVK's push for an independent inquiry comes as its senior leaders face serious legal action.
Adding to the legal pressure, a separate petition has been filed in the Madras High Court by a man injured in the stampede, seeking to restrain the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) from granting permission for any further TVK public meetings until the official inquiry is complete.
The deaths, which included men, women, and children—the youngest reportedly a two-year-old boy—have sent shockwaves across the state and the nation, prompting condolences and financial aid from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Stalin, and TVK Chief Vijay, who announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh per deceased family.
The proceedings in the Madras High Court today are expected to be pivotal, potentially determining the nature and impartiality of the probe into one of Tamil Nadu's worst political rally tragedies.