Justice Senthilkumar criticised actor-politician Vijay for fleeing during the chaos and said the state had shown undue leniency despite the magnitude of the disaster.
BY PC Bureau
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday came down heavily on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leaders over the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives, criticising party chief Vijay for having “fled from the scene of occurrence” and for failing to express remorse.
The bench, led by Justice Senthilkumar, ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under senior IPS officer Asra Garg to probe the tragedy. Calling the incident a “massive man-made disaster,” the court said it could not “close its eyes” or remain a “mute spectator.”
The judge questioned both the organisers and police over accountability, asking, “As an event organiser, don’t you have any responsibility?” He also expressed anguish over the state’s “leniency” towards Vijay, remarking that the actor-politician had “vanished” even as women and children lay dead.
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During the hearing on anticipatory bail pleas of TVK leaders Bussy Anand and CTR Nirmal Kumar, the state argued that the stampede was triggered by the party’s cadre and accused the leaders of irresponsibility. Referring to video evidence, the bench noted two-wheelers were trapped under a TVK bus that did not stop, asking, “Is it not a case of hit and run? Why have the police failed to act?”
The court also directed action against TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna, citing his controversial social media post, and questioned whether he was “above the law.” Meanwhile, it is hearing a PIL seeking to bar roadshows until clear guidelines or SOPs are framed.
Madras HC today slammed @actorvijay😳 for fleeing Karur rally site post-stampede (41 dead,100+injured)calling his leadership❌poor quality."Court rejected CBI probe,ordered SIT,issued notices to TN govt & TVK for compensation guidelines. #KarurStampede #MadrasHC pic.twitter.com/wSaQMCeXzR
— Dr.Aazim Kassi〽️ (@AazimKassim) October 3, 2025
Senior counsel V Raghavachari, appearing for Anand and Nirmal Kumar, argued that the petitioners had no intent to harm their cadres and that the incident could not amount to culpable homicide. He accused the police of mishandling the situation, claiming the crowd turned unruly only after a lathi charge and that chemicals were thrown, causing panic. He maintained that responsibility lay with the state, which had approved the venue and granted permission only a day before the event.
However, Additional Advocate General J Ravindran countered that TVK misled the public by tweeting the rally would begin at 12 noon despite permission being from 3 pm to 7 pm. He added that 559 police personnel were deployed for the TVK rally, far higher than the 137 deployed for AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palanisamy’s campaign at the same venue.
