Supreme Court Orders CBI Investigation Into Fatal Karur Stampede at Tamil Actor Vijay's Political Rally

41 people died and at least 60 were injured in the stampede during Vijay's rally on September 27.

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the deadly stampede that occurred at actor-turned-politician and TVK chief Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur last month. The bench, consisting of Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria, also established a three-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the investigation.

This monitoring committee will include two IPS officers who may belong to the Tamil Nadu cadre but must not be natives of the state.

The Supreme Court questioned the previous decision by a single judge of the Madras High Court's Chennai bench who had denied a CBI investigation. The top court referred to the stampede as an incident that "shook the nation."

The tragedy claimed 41 lives and left at least 60 people injured during Vijay's political rally on September 27. Officials reported that approximately 30,000 people had gathered at a venue designed to accommodate only about 10,000 attendees. Security guidelines were violated, and there was a lack of proper arrangements for food and drinking water, which contributed to the disaster.

Vijay was scheduled to arrive at the venue at 12 pm but didn't appear until around 7 pm. By this time, the crowd had grown substantially, and his arrival with a campaign bus reportedly caused another crowd surge. People climbed trees, roofs, and power lines during the wait, forcing authorities to cut electrical lines to prevent electrocution. When Vijay finally arrived, the crowd began pushing one another, and some threw slippers at his campaign bus to attract his attention. Many people fainted in the commotion, prompting police to use lathi charges to disperse the crowd.

The day following the incident, Vijay announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each victim's family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured. He also suspended his statewide tour. On October 7, the TVK chief spoke with the families of the deceased via video call, offering condolences and promising to visit Karur soon.

TVK Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan has been arrested, with police holding him responsible for the lapses that led to the tragedy. Cases have also been filed against TVK's General Secretary Bussy Anand and Joint General Secretary Nirmal Sekar, both of whom remain at large.