Karur Stampede: Actor-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has claimed that the deadly stampede at its rally in Karur was not an accident but the result of a conspiracy involving ruling party figures. The incident on Saturday left 40 people dead, including 10 children, and nearly 100 injured.
TVK’s legal team has now petitioned the Madras High Court, demanding that the case be transferred either to a Special Investigation Team or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“This Was a Criminal Conspiracy”: TVK Lawyer On Karur Stampede
TVK’s lawyer and state legal wing coordinator, Arivazhagan, alleged foul play. “There was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy in the incident at Karur, so we requested the honourable high court to investigate the matter independently, not by a state agency,” he told NDTV. He further added, “The court has to constitute a special investigation team, or they have to transfer the case from Tamil Nadu police to CBI.”
When asked if this meant TVK had no faith in the state police, Arivazhagan responded, “There was a criminal conspiracy. We received reliable information from the local people, and we have some CCTV footage. It shows that there was a criminal conspiracy by some ruling party functionaries in the Karur district.”
The lawyer also dismissed the state government’s charge that TVK violated police safety conditions at the rally. “We did not violate any conditions imposed by the police, we did not,” he said, noting that TVK had successfully held events across several districts in recent months.
DMK, TN Government Hit Back at Allegations
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has chosen not to escalate the dispute. Party spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah told NDTV, “We don’t want to politicise this. The law will take its course. Those who level such allegations should first introspect how their party leadership behaved.”
According to NDTV, government sources, meanwhile, maintained that overcrowding and delays worsened the situation. They claimed that although people had started gathering from noon, Vijay arrived only around 7 pm, by which time the crowd had swelled to 27,000 in a venue designed for just 10,000. They alleged the delay was “deliberate” to build crowd pressure.
Arivazhagan dismissed this accusation, saying, “The delay was not on our part. The delay was caused due to poor traffic. That is the reason we could not reach the destination on time.”
Karur Stampede: Tragedy, Legal Fallout, and Inquiry
According to eyewitnesses cited by India Today, a power cut, narrow approach roads, and a sudden surge in the crowd shortly before Vijay’s arrival triggered the deadly stampede. Families were separated in the chaos as people struggled for air. Post-mortem reports later confirmed suffocation as the cause of death. The aftermath at the venue was marked by abandoned footwear, torn clothing, broken poles and scattered bottles.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin rushed to Karur, met with survivors at hospital and described the loss of lives as “unbearable.” He assured families that full government support and medical care were being provided.
The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry headed by retired High Court judge Justice N Senthilkumar. He arrived in the city to begin the probe.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, appointed by the state government for a detailed inquiry into the Karur stampede, arrives in Trichy
A stampede at an election rally of TVK leader Vijay in Karur yesterday killed 39 people, including women and… pic.twitter.com/gqiXxwc1Fe
— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2025
Police have also filed cases against TVK leaders, including general secretary Bussy Anand, joint general secretary C T Nirmal Kumar and district secretary V P Mathiyazhagan. They face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita such as culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, rash acts endangering life, disobedience of lawful orders, as well as provisions of the Tamil Nadu Public Property Damage Act.
Vijay, in a message to his supporters on Sunday, said his “heart is broken” and announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for each bereaved family and Rs 2 lakh for those injured. “This is an irreparable loss. As a member of your family, I stand by you in this grief,” he said.
