Madras High Court Orders SIT Probe into Vijay's TVK Party Rally Stampede That Killed 41

Chennai:

The Madras High Court has severely criticized Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party regarding the recent stampede in Karur. Justice Senthilkumar made strong remarks against the actor, noting that he and his party leaders who organized the rally fled the scene without showing any remorse after the tragedy that resulted in 41 deaths.

The judge ordered the confiscation of the TVK's campaign bus in a hit-and-run case, referencing videos that demonstrated its involvement in an accident. He also directed police to seize all CCTV footage from the rally, particularly from inside and outside Vijay's bus.

The court has mandated the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Asra Garg and requested the state government's cooperation with the SIT.

Read: Vijay's Party Alleges Lathicharge Led To Karur Stampede, Court Orders SIT

The court stated that the rally organizers "abandoned" those who had come to see the actor but ended up losing their lives, and that the party should have come to their aid. They exhibited no remorse, responsibility, or regret following the incident, according to the court's observations.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the local police investigation and noted that the state appeared to be "showing leniency" toward the TVK leaders.

It also questioned why no case had been filed against Vijay himself.

Currently, two TVK leaders, including Vijay's close associate and second-in-command N 'Bussy' Anand, along with CT Nirmal Kumar, have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

In a separate hearing, a Madurai bench rejected both their anticipatory bail applications, stating that bail cannot be granted as the investigation remains in its preliminary stage.

Read: 'Not Political Arena': High Court Refuses CBI Probe Into Vijay Rally Stampede

The bench also dismissed two petitions seeking a CBI investigation into the September 27 tragedy. One petition was filed by a politician unrelated to the stampede victims, while the other was deemed inadmissible by the court.

Emphasizing that public safety is paramount, the court also affirmed that protecting lives is the state government's responsibility.

At least 41 people died in the Karur stampede, with police reporting that the rally attracted 27,000 attendees, nearly triple the expected 10,000 participants. Police also attributed the tragedy to a seven-hour delay by Vijay.

A political dispute ensued, with Vijay accusing Chief Minister MK Stalin of vendetta politics. The DMK responded by asserting that the actor must take responsibility for the deaths because he violated the rules.