NEW DELHI: TVK Karur district secretary V P Mathiazhagan and central town secretary Masi Pavunraj are set to be released from jail Thursday after a court rejected the police request to extend their custody. According to TVK’s counsel Srinivasan, as cited by ANI, once the court issues a copy of the order and the necessary prison procedures are completed, both individuals are expected to be released by tomorrow.The arrests were made in connection with the tragic stampede at actor Vijay’s rally in Karur on September 27, which claimed 41 lives, including 18 women and 10 children. The incident occurred when a massive crowd turned chaotic, triggering panic and causing several attendees to faint. Many were rushed to nearby hospitals.Two days after the incident, Mathiazhagan was picked up by a special team. The following day, Pavunraj was taken into custody. He was among three key functionaries of actor Vijay’s TVK named as prime suspects in the case. The others were general secretary Bussy Anand and joint general secretary C T R Nirmal Kumar. All three were booked under Sections 105, 110, 125(b), and 223 of the BNS Act, and Section 3 of the TNPPDL Act. The FIR stated that though police repeatedly warned Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and Mathiazhagan to manage the crowd, the instructions were not followed. “As volunteers were allowed to climb and sit on tin sheds and trees, they collapsed under the weight, causing people standing below to fall,” the report said.
