Chennai: The Madras High Court has delivered a scathing critique of South Indian superstar Vijay and his political outfit, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), over the devastating Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives last week. In a series of strong observations, Justice Senthilkumar stated that Vijay and his party leaders “fled the scene, showing no remorse” after the tragedy, highlighting the apparent lack of accountability in the aftermath of the incident.
The court’s directives include the seizure of the TVK campaign bus linked to the stampede, citing videos that allegedly show the vehicle involved in the accident. Authorities have also been ordered to secure all CCTV footage from the rally, including cameras installed inside and outside Vijay’s bus, to aid in a thorough investigation.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the tragedy, with Inspector General of Police Asra Garg appointed to lead the investigation. The court directed the state government to provide full cooperation to the SIT. Observing the negligence of rally organisers, the bench remarked that they “abandoned” attendees who had come to catch a glimpse of the actor but ended up losing their lives. The court noted that the party displayed no remorse, responsibility, or regret for the incident.
The High Court also expressed dissatisfaction with the local police investigation, suggesting that the state appeared to be “showing leniency” toward TVK leaders. A pointed question was raised regarding why no case had been filed against Vijay himself.
Currently, two senior TVK leaders, including Vijay’s close aide and second-in-command N ‘Bussy’ Anand and CT Nirmal Kumar, have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. In a separate hearing, the Madurai bench rejected their anticipatory bail pleas, citing the preliminary stage of the investigation. Additionally, petitions seeking a CBI inquiry into the tragedy were dismissed, with the court ruling one petition non-maintainable and noting that the other was filed by a politician unconnected to the victims.
Highlighting the primacy of public safety, the bench stressed that protecting lives is the responsibility of the state government. Police reports indicate that the Karur rally attracted 27,000 attendees nearly three times the expected turnout of 10,000. A seven-hour delay by Vijay on the day of the rally was also cited as a contributing factor to the stampede.
The tragedy has sparked a political firestorm. While Vijay accused Chief Minister MK Stalin of engaging in vendetta politics, the DMK responded sharply, asserting that the actor must take responsibility for the deaths, pointing out that safety protocols were violated during the event.
The Madras High Court’s stringent observations underscore a growing demand for accountability and rigorous investigation, sending a clear message that public safety cannot be compromised, regardless of celebrity status or political influence.