Karur Stampede: Nearly 500 police personnel were deployed during actor-turned-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, where a tragic stampede claimed 40 lives, Tamil Nadu ADGP (Law and Order) S Davidson Devasirvatham said on Sunday. Addressing reporters alongside District Collector M Thangavel, Devasirvatham clarified that preliminary investigations found no evidence of stone-pelting during the rally, countering earlier claims by some sections.
Regarding lighting, Davidson confirmed that streetlights at the venue were adequate but noted certain conditions for crowd management were violated.
Crowd Swelled After Vijay’s Delayed Appearance: Tamil Nadu ADGP
Speaking to reporters, ADGP Davidson explained that the rally in Namakkal, scheduled earlier, was delayed, which resulted in a large number of people from there also heading to Karur.
“Because the Namakkal campaign was delayed, he (Vijay) reached the Karur venue only by 6 pm. The crowd began to swell rapidly, with people from both Namakkal and Karur gathering to see him… Everybody wants to see their leader and they are pushing towards the vehicle. That’s because there are a lot of youngsters who are not even willing to listen to anybody, even to the volunteers, the bouncers, whomever they bring them,” the officer said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The officer added that the TVK organisers had sought approval for 12,000 attendees, and deployment was planned accordingly.
Organisers Ignored Crowd Control Advice: Tamil Nadu ADGP
According to the ADGP, officers had advised that Vijay’s speech be shifted to an area with fewer people, but the organisers declined. He also mentioned that the absence of light inside the actor-politician’s bus triggered further chaos.
The ADGP emphasised that organisers must cooperate with police during large gatherings. “As Vijay’s vehicle was 50 metres away from the speaking spot in Karur, he was instructed by a DSP ranked police officer to stop the vehicle and address the gathering from that place itself. But they did not extend their cooperation and insisted that they go to the designated spot,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
“Additionally, there was no light inside Vijay’s bus, so the crowd could not see him and began moving along with the bus,” Davidson told reporters, as per HT.
Karur Stampede: Tamil Nadu Police On Venue Choice and Street Lights
The Tamil Nadu official reported that TVK initially requested to hold the event at Light House Raundana, which police rejected due to high-risk factors, including a petrol pump on the left and the Amaravati River bridge on the right. Officers then suggested an alternative venue previously used for a 12,000–15,000 person gathering, which organisers eventually approved after inspection.
“…they (TVK) requested permission to conduct this event at a place called Light House Raundana. This was not accepted by the police because it was considered a high-risk place, with a petrol pump on the left and the Amaravati River bridge on the right. So the officers decided it was not advisable to give permission there. They requested another location, which was also inspected, and they were informed that the number of people they planned to bring could not be accommodated there. As an alternative, we suggested this place because a political party had recently organised an event there with approximately 12,000 to 15,000 people, and it had passed off very peacefully. So, they also went and saw the place. Finally, they agreed,” he said, as per news agency ANI.
The cop stated that the authorities received written approval from the organisers before the event proceeded. “They gave us in writing that we could be allowed to hold the event there… No, it was not an intelligence failure… There were adequate streetlights there… Yes, some conditions were violated. A case has been registered, and the investigation will reveal who is involved,” the ADGP added.
Karur Stampede: Hunger, Fatigue, Delays Made Crowd Restless
The ADGP highlighted factors that contributed to the tragic stampede. “A large number of people were arriving at the venue at 12 noon without having breakfast and they did not have lunch as well. No food or water was supplied to them by the organisers,” he said, as per PTI.
Vijay’s campaign began later than scheduled. He departed Namakkal at 4:15 pm and reached Karur at 6 pm, a journey expected to take 30 minutes. “Since all the people were standing without food and water since morning, they became restless and anxious,” Devasirvatham said.
He noted additional delays as some attendees followed Vijay’s vehicle, which resulted in a further one-hour delay. “It is at that time the incident has occurred. We will investigate what led to the incident,” he added.
Karur Stampede: Ex Gratia For Victims
The tragic incident on Saturday sparked a series of compensation announcements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that ₹2 lakh each would be provided from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured. “PM Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the unfortunate incident at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” the Prime Minister’s Office posted on X.
TVK chief Vijay, in a statement on X, said he was at a “loss for words” and pledged ₹20 lakh for the bereaved families and ₹2 lakh for those injured.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also visited the Karur Government Medical College and Hospital late Saturday night to meet the injured and families of the deceased. He announced ₹10 lakh compensation for each bereaved family and ₹1 lakh for the injured.
The ADGP confirmed that a case has been registered to investigate the violation of conditions and that accountability will be established through the probe.
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