Tamil Nadu Stampede: Police Lathicharge Blamed for 41 Deaths at Vijay's Political Rally

A lathicharge by the police triggered the stampede that claimed 41 lives last weekend in Tamil Nadu's Karur district, according to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the political party led by actor-politician Vijay.

The MK Stalin-led DMK government has dismissed these allegations as "baseless," stating there is no evidence to support such claims.

"When supporters were waiting to see their leader Vijay, some individuals threw slippers from the crowd. Without any warning, police began lathicharging people, which led to the stampede. The police failed to handle the situation appropriately," Vijay's party stated in court.

The Madras High Court has ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IPS officer Asra Garg to investigate the incident.

While establishing the SIT, Justice Senthilkumar instructed the Karur Police to immediately transfer all case documents related to the stampede to the investigation panel.

"Watching the videos is painful," remarked Justice N Senthilkumar, expressing dismay that only two individuals had been arrested thus far in connection with the tragedy.

Previously, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that a judicial commission led by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan would investigate the incident.

The high court also rejected the anticipatory bail petition filed by TVK district secretary N Sathish Kumar in the stampede case.

The judge questioned why the party failed to control the crowd, highlighting the unruly behavior of party members, including the rampage and damage caused to public property during Vijay's roadshow.

"Whether they are leaders or party workers, after this incident, while the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and all political parties expressed grief and engaged in rescue efforts, the organizers of the event — the party members — had completely walked away," the court observed.

Vijay was addressing the rally on September 27 when crowds suddenly surged forward, forcing him to stop his speech. Social media videos showed him throwing water bottles to supporters shortly before panic erupted.

State police chief G Venkataraman explained that crowds had been waiting for hours under intense heat without adequate food and water after being informed that Vijay would arrive at the venue by noon.

"The crowds began arriving from 11 am. He appeared at 7:40 pm. People lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun," the senior police official told reporters.

He added that while 10,000 people were expected, approximately 27,000 actually attended.

The rally site was littered with shoes, crushed water bottles, torn party flags, clothing pieces, broken poles, and paper debris from party poppers.

"My heart is shattered at this tragedy," the 51-year-old star said in a statement hours after the incident.

Vijay's party has announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh for victims' families and Rs 2 lakh for those injured.

Separately, the Tamil Nadu government has also offered financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased.

Vijay, who ended his acting career last year to enter politics, has been touring across the state and plans to cover all 38 districts through public meetings.