TVK Leaders Seek Pre-Arrest Bail Following Fatal Stampede in Tamil Nadu's Karur

41 people died and 60 were injured in the stampede.

Chennai:

Two senior functionaries of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) - General Secretary Bussy Anand and Joint General Secretary CT Nirmal Kumar - have approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking pre-arrest bail after being named in the First Information Report (FIR) related to the tragic stampede in Tamil Nadu's Karur that claimed 41 lives last week.

In their bail applications, both leaders have categorically denied any wrongdoing, describing the allegations as "false, baseless, and intended to implicate us for political reasons." They emphasized their status as "law-abiding citizens with no criminal antecedents" and maintained that the stampede resulted from an "unexpected surge of a huge crowd beyond the control of any individual."

The TVK leaders have directed blame toward law enforcement, asserting that police failed to deploy sufficient personnel despite having prior knowledge of the rally's magnitude. "The respondents (police) did not provide sufficient protection to regulate the gathering," their petitions state. They further allege that "goondas" infiltrated the crowd, threw slippers at TVK chief Vijay, and "caused injury with weapons," triggering panic that ultimately led to the deadly stampede.

Their bail pleas highlight several alleged operational failures, including an ambulance "driven without a patient" into the area that reportedly created unnecessary confusion. The petitions claim police conducted an unprovoked lathicharge and note that a power outage occurred within five minutes of Vijay beginning his speech, exacerbating the chaos. The leaders contend that despite repeated oral requests discouraging women and children from attending, authorities "failed to control the entry of vulnerable groups."

One of the leaders specifically states in his petition that he is innocent and is being targeted for political motives.

The police have firmly rejected these accusations, instead holding TVK leadership responsible for negligence. According to the FIR, while the party had announced on social media platform X that Vijay would arrive at noon, he actually reached the venue seven hours later. Police allege the TVK deliberately delayed the program to showcase their leader's political influence. They further assert that the actor-politician's roadshow proceeded without proper permission and created "unnecessary expectations" among supporters.

Investigators claim that TVK leaders, including Anand and Nirmal Kumar, ignored repeated police warnings and stopped Vijay's vehicle away from the designated location. They allegedly proceeded with a reception that violated agreed conditions. The FIR states that party supporters broke barricades and climbed onto both a tin shed roof and treetops, both of which collapsed, causing numerous injuries. With no food or water available during the extended wait, many attendees grew weak, which authorities say worsened the crisis.

While permission had been granted for a gathering between 3 pm and 10 pm with an expected attendance of 10,000 people, police estimate that over 25,000 individuals actually participated.

The September 27 tragedy resulted in 41 fatalities, including women and children, and sparked widespread public outrage. TVK chief Vijay has subsequently announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each victim's family and Rs 2 lakh for those injured.

The Madurai Bench is scheduled to hear the bail petitions on Friday.