Actor-politician Vijay led TVK on Sunday made a mention before Justice M Dhandapani of the Madras High Court to order CBI or Special Investigation Team probe into the tragic stampede at a rally held by the party on September 27 in Karur.
The death toll rose to 40 on Sunday after 31-year-old Kavin, who was undergoing treatment at Karur Government Hospital, succumbed despite medical efforts.
A group of advocates led by TVK's advocates' wing president S Arivazhagan went to the residence of Justice M Dhandapani on Greenways road here and made a mention.
In the alternative, they requested the court to initiate suo motu proceedings into the incident.
According to TVK party functionary Nirmal Kumar, the judge asked the advocates to file a petition before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and it will be taken up for hearing on Monday at 2.15 pm.
Meanwhile, Justice N Senthilkumar will hear an urgent petition at 4:30 pm today, seeking a ban on actor Vijay’s TVK from holding public gatherings until the Karur stampede inquiry is completed, sources said.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday said the Commission led by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan would arrive in Karur later in the day to probe the incident.
He said Chief Minister M K Stalin would take appropriate action based on the report submitted by the panel.
Udhayanidhi, who cut short his overseas trip, paid homage to the deceased and visited the injured at a hospital here.
He was accompanied by Cabinet colleagues, including Health Minister Ma Subramanian.
"The Commission will speak to the affected individuals and submit its report.
Based on its recommendations, the Chief Minister will take suitable action," Udhayanidhi told reporters.
The Deputy CM said over 345 doctors and nurses from neighbouring districts have been deployed to treat the injured.
Expressing anguish over the tragedy, he said the government would extend full support to the victims.
"The government will take action to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future," he said.
Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi Stalin reviewed the treatment being provided to those injured at the government hospital in the district.
In a social media post on Sunday, the Deputy CM said he also sought details of those receiving treatment at other hospitals.
The review meeting was held in the presence of Health Minister Ma Subramanian, former State Minister Senthil Balaji, and senior officials from the health department.
"I have issued orders to ensure that every individual receives special care and quality treatment for the injuries sustained (due to the stampede)" he said.
The Karur West district office of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has remained shut since Saturday night, with calls to key functionaries, including district secretary V.P. Mathiyalagan, going unanswered.
Party cadres admitted many functionaries fled the venue in panic with their families, leaving people who sought their assistance stranded. The silence from the fledgling party, once known for blood donation and medical camps, has raised questions about its preparedness and commitment, particularly as leaders from DMK, AIADMK, and other parties, including the Chief Minister, visited hospitals and mortuaries.
While hospital sources confirmed none of the deceased were TVK members, a cadre named S. Murugan was admitted with injuries. Despite moving the Madras High Court seeking a CBI probe, no senior TVK leader has visited the injured or victims’ families, underscoring the organisational vacuum in a party still struggling to find its footing.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident. The injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.
Earlier, Vijay had announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to each victim’s family and Rs 2 lakh to each of the injured.
The Tamil Nadu government also had declared a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Chief Minister MK Stalin said Rs 1 lakh will be given to each of those undergoing intensive treatment in hospitals.
What went wrong?
The Karur stampede resulted from a combination of poor planning and unexpected circumstances. TVK’s announcement of Vijay’s early arrival prompted crowds to gather from 11 am, though he did not arrive until 7:40 pm, leaving people waiting for hours under the scorching sun with limited access to food and water. Organisers had anticipated around 10,000 attendees, but over 27,000 people turned up, far exceeding police preparations for 20,000.
The event was held on a narrow public road, leaving little space for effective crowd management. Despite police flagging these concerns, they were present only to support, not manage, the event. When Vijay finally arrived, a sudden surge of people rushing to greet him triggered the chaos that led to the tragedy.
(With inputs from PTI)
| Names of the victims | Age | Location |
|---|---|---|
| M. Thamaraikannan | 25 | Baganatham, Dindigul district |
| A. Hemalatha | 28 | Vishwanathapuri, Karur district |
| A. Sailakshna | 8 | Vishwanathapuri, Karur district |
| A. Saijeeva | 4 | Vishwanathapuri, Karur district |
| D. Suganya | 33 | Karur |
| M. Akash | 23 | Karur |
| I. Dhanushkumar | 24 | Sengal village, Karur district |
| M. Vadivazhagan | 54 | Pasupathipalayam, Karur district |
| M. Revathi | 52 | Erode district |
| S. Chandra | 40 | Emur, Karur district |
| V. Guruvishnu | 2 | Velusamypuram, Karur district |
| P. Ramesh | 32 | Kodangipatti, Karur district |
| R. Sanojvarshan | 13 | Thanthoni village, Karur district |
| M. Ravikrishnan | 32 | LNS village, Karur district |
| S. Priyadarshini | 35 | Emur village, Karur district |
| S. Tharanika | 14 | Emur village, Karur district |
| P. Palaniammal | 11 | Velusamypuram, Karur district |
| P. Kokila | 14 | Velusamypuram, Karur district |
| S. Maheswari | 45 | Arukampalayam, Karur district |
| M. Ajita | 21 | Aravakurichi, Karur district |
| K. Malathi | 36 | Rayanur North, Karur district |
| M. Sumathi | 50 | Karur |
| B. Manikandan | 33 | Vellakoil, Tiruppur district |
| D. Satish Kumar | 34 | Kodumudi, Erode district |
| S. Krithikyadav | 7 | Karur |
| M. Anand | 26 | Sukkampatti, Salem district |
| B. Sankar Ganesh | 45 | Gujiliamparai, Dindigul district |
| S. Vijayarani | 42 | Thazhaipatti, Karur district |
| J. Gokulapriya | 28 | Vellakoil, Tiruppur district |
| P. Fathima Banu | 29 | Oddanchathram, Dindigul district |
| G. Kishore | 17 | Karur |
| S. Jaya | 55 | Vengamedu, Karur district |
| K. Arukani | 60 | Emur village, Karur district |
| S. Jayanthi | 43 | Velayuthampalayam, Karur district |
| S. Kokilasri | 27 | Uppidamangalam, Karur district |
| K. Srinath | 15 | Mettur, Salem district |
| K. Mohan | 19 | Jambai, Erode district |
| P. Prithik | 10 | Emur village, Karur district |
| S. Brindha | 22 | Senthamangalam East village, Karur district |
| Kavin | 31 | Karur district |