Chennai: Two senior functionaries of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), general secretary Anand and joint general secretary Nirmal Kumar, approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the horrific Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives during a campaign rally addressed by party leader and actor Vijay on September 27.
The tragic incident unfolded at Velayuthampalayam near Karur where thousands of supporters had gathered to see Vijay.
As the crowd surged forward, a sudden crush ensued, leaving 41 people, including women and children, dead and many others injured.
Police registered cases under five sections, including causing danger to human life and disobeying public orders, against TVK functionaries Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and Karur West district secretary Mathiyazhagan.
While Mathiyazhagan was arrested on Monday, another TVK executive, Masi Paunraj, was detained on Tuesday for allegedly sheltering him. Police teams continue searching for the remaining accused.
In their petitions, Anand and Nirmal Kumar maintained that the tragedy was the result of “police and administrative lapses” rather than any fault of the organisers.
They alleged that authorities failed to ensure adequate crowd control and did not allocate a safe venue for the rally. Anand stated that TVK leaders are being “targeted to cover up the government’s own failures”, and urged the court to protect them from arrest.
The petitions will be heard on Friday, October 3.
The state government earlier formed a one-member inquiry commission headed by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed deep grief, announced compensation, and promised new safety guidelines for political and public gatherings once the commission submits its report.
“Our collective duty is to ensure such an incident never happens again,” CM Stalin said, urging the public not to spread unverified claims.
Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami demanded a judicial inquiry and accused the DMK government of gross administrative failure.
Meanwhile, Vijay himself visited grieving families and pledged Rs 20 lakh each as relief to the bereaved, expressing heartbreak over the deaths of his supporters. The Karur stampede has triggered a wide political storm, with parties trading charges while victims’ families await justice and safer protocols for future public events.
(IANS)
