V Ayyappan, the branch secretary of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) at Virpattu village near Gingee, died by suicide at his residence in Villupuram on Monday. In a note, Ayyappan claimed that former Minister V Senthil Balaji was responsible for the Karur stampede, which occurred during a campaign rally of TVK chief Vijay and claimed 41 lives.
Ayyappan’s family includes his wife A. Ananthi (40), son A. Ashok (25), and daughter A. Pavithra (23), reported The New Indian Express.
According to the suicide note accessed by ABP, found in Ayyappan’s shirt pocket, alleged that authorities provided inadequate security for Vijay’s Karur event at the behest of Senthil Balaji. Ayyappan accused the former DMK minister of attempting to disgrace TVK. He also demanded a probe into the incident and sought Balaji’s arrest.
The police have recovered Ayyappan’s mobile phone and are investigating all possible angles. His remains have been sent for postmortem at Mundiyambakkam Government Hospital.
Karur Stampede FIR
Meanwhile, Karur City Police on Monday arrested Paun Raj, who was involved in arranging flagpoles and flex banners for Vijay’s campaign. He reportedly provided shelter to Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan, who was arrested earlier.
The Karur stampede on Saturday occurred during Vijay’s campaign, and while the FIR did not name the TVK chief, it was filed against three party office-bearers: Mathiyazhagan, Bussy N. Anand (state general secretary), and C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar (state joint secretary). The FIR stated that Vijay held roadshows without permission before reaching Velusamypuram, where his campaign vehicle halted amidst a crowd.
The FIR noted: “Vijay’s campaign vehicle halted amidst the huge crowd of party workers, and a deliberate delay was caused for a short time… there was excessive crowding of workers and the general public at that spot.”
Further, police investigations are underway.
ALSO READ: Islamic School Building Collapses In Indonesia; 65 Students Presumed Buried, 1 Dead
