KARUR: A year after 41 people died in the stampede at a TVK rally, families of the victims say the financial assistance extended to them has helped them rebuild their lives, but questions surrounding the tragedy remain unanswered.
The TVK organised a memorial programme near the Karur bus stand roundabout on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of the September 27, 2025, tragedy that also left more than 100 injured. Families paid tribute to those who died.
The stampede occurred at Velusamypuram, where thousands had gathered for the rally addressed by Vijay.
‘Justice should prevail’
The TN government provided Rs 10 lakh to each deceased's family, while the centre announced Rs 2 lakh each under the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The TVK also provided Rs 20 lakh each, while several other parties extended assistance to the families.
P Selvaraj (44) of Emur Pudur, who lost his wife S Chandra, said his son was provided a government job which has given some financial support, but the loss of his wife continues to weigh on the family.
K Sakthivel (50), who lost his wife Priyadarshini (35) and daughter Dharanika (14), has joined the School Education Department through the employment assistance provided to the victims’ families. He is now living all by himself.
“This should not happen to anyone. This should be the first and last. Whoever comes to power, justice should prevail,” Sakthivel said.
For N Jayasri, grandmother of two-year-old K Dhuruvishnu, who died in the stampede, the grief remains part of everyday life. Her family was also questioned by the CBI during the investigation. “Not a single day goes by without thinking about him,” she said.
No definitive closure
At Velusamypuram, C Perumal (53) lost both his daughters, Kokila and Palaniammal. He said the family continued to have several unanswered questions about what happened at the rally. “I still have hundreds of doubts on that matter. We need closure,” Perumal said.
He said the investigation should establish what happened. “Definitely, those found to be guilty should be punished. This should never happen. The only thing we need is justice,” he said.
Recalling the aftermath of the tragedy, Karur MP S Jothimani, in a statement on Sunday, said, “Even now, recalling the child lying in the mortuary and the grief of families searching for their loved ones leaves me shaken. A year has passed, but justice has not been delivered for the 41 victims.”
The investigation is being handled by the CBI after the Supreme Court directed that the case be transferred from the state-appointed SIT.
The delay in bringing the investigation to a conclusion has also kept alive a political question surrounding the case — why Vijay was not named as an accused in the FIR registered by the then DMK government. The original FIR named three senior TVK functionaries but not Vijay, though it contained references to events involving his arrival at the rally.
The issue has continued to draw criticism even after Vijay became CM. In July, the Supreme Court, while hearing a plea seeking to restrain him from meeting the victims’ families, noted that he was not named as an accused in the FIR.
There were also developments on the rehabilitation front. CM Vijay visited Karur on July 10 and met the victims’ families. Appointment orders were handed over to 31 eligible members of the affected families, while he also announced plans for a memorial. The Madras High Court initially struck down the appointment orders, but the Supreme Court later stayed it, allowing the issue to remain before the court.
MR Vijayabhaskar, Karur district organisational secretary of TVK, said on Sunday that the work to build the memorial was under way.
‘A wound that does not heal’: Vijay pays tribute
Chennai: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday paid tributes to Karur stampede victims and said the tragedy, which claimed 41 lives, is a wound that does not heal, a pain that does not fade.
“Let us be a source of solace, support and strength to those of us who are grieving the loss of our loved ones. My heartfelt tribute to all those who live on in our memories,” he said in a post on X.
DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, in a statement, urged everyone to act responsibly to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen anywhere in future. AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran said expediting the CBI probe and taking stringent action against all those responsible would be the true tribute to victims