Karur Stampede: Charges And Counter-Charges After The Tragedy

A deadly stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on the evening of Saturday, 27 September, left over 40 people dead, including women and children, and triggered an intense debate over crowd management and responsibility.

The tragedy unfolded when a massive crowd surged as Vijay arrived for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign, resulting in chaos and panic.

The Tamil Nadu government has registered criminal cases against lower- and mid-level members of Vijay’s nascent party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), while refraining from implicating Vijay yet. TVK Karur West district secretary VP Mathiyazhagan has been charged with attempt to murder and attempt to culpable homicide (not murder) and other offences.

The Indian Express reported that senior officials indicated that the 'restraint' in not naming Vijay himself in an FIR stems from political calculations. Any prompt action against Vijay, whether arrest, questioning, or even mentioning him in the FIR, could trigger a sympathy wave for the state’s most popular film star and reinforce the perception that the ruling DMK was targeting a political opponent.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh for each victim’s family. The Tamil Nadu government suspended events, mobilised medical teams, and launched an inquiry into the stampege led by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan.

Stalin maintained that further action would depend on the commission’s findings, declining to engage in political speculation about Vijay’s legal fate.

On the other hand, Vijay expressed grief in a statement: “While I express my deepest condolences with indescribable pain to you who are grieving the loss of our cherished loved ones, I also stand close to your hearts, sharing this immense sorrow,” he wrote.

TVK later announced a Rs 20 lakh compensation for each victim’s family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.

Vijay’s TVK suspects a political conspiracy and demanded a CBI probe. “We suspect conspiracy, we want court-monitored probe,” TVK’s lawyer asserted.

Leaders across parties responded with condolences and demands for accountability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh relief for bereaved families from the PM’s National Relief Fund, calling the event “deeply saddening."

President Droupadi Murmu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed sympathy, while the Home Ministry sought a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu government.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised what he called a selective approach by the police in handling security at political events, saying, "Even in our AIADMK meeting, no proper security was provided. In DMK meetings, thousands of police are deployed for security. Police should not be biased in favour of the ruling party over opposition parties in providing security."

Earlier today, 29 September, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman landed in Karur to meet with families of the deceased and the injured and offer condolences.

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Also Read: A tragedy in Karur: When politics and negligence trample human lives