Karur Stampede: Death Toll Rises To 41, Madras HC Hears Plea Seeking Ban On Future TVK Rallies

Karur: The death toll from the devastating stampede at actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign rally here in Tamil Nadu has risen to 41 after a woman succumbed to her injuries late on Sunday night.

The deceased has been identified as 65-year-old Sukuna from Velusamipuram. Sukuna, who worked for a private company, had gone missing after the rally. Her relatives later found that she was admitted to Karur Government Hospital's intensive care unit but could not be saved despite treatment.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi telephoned the TVK chief to convey his condolences over death of his supporters in the stampede. Gandhi also dialled Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to inquire about the tragic incident, said sources.

On Sunday evening, the Madras High Court heard a petition seeking to restrain Vijay's party TVK, from conducting any public rallies or gatherings until the completion of the official inquiry into the Karur stampede.

Justice N Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court heard an urgent petition at 4:30 PM, seeking to restrain Vijay's TVK from public meetings, rallies or gatherings.

The plea came in the wake of the Saturday incident at Karur, where a massive crowd at a TVK campaign event led to a stampede, resulting in the death of at least 40 people (now 41) and leaving dozens others injured.

According to sources, the petitioner had argued that continuing large-scale political gatherings without accountability could risk further loss of life and that the state machinery must first complete a thorough investigation before granting permission for fresh rallies.

The Tamil Nadu government had already ordered a probe, with senior officials and the police top brass reviewing the lapses.

Senior political leaders across party lines, including Chief Minister MK Stalin, opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, and Union leaders expressed grief and called for strict measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, who is heading the one-member enquiry commission appointed by Chief Minister MK Stalin to probe the stampede, visited Government Medical College and Hospital last evening and said that the people injured are "fine" now. "All those injured are fine in the hospital now. They are getting very good treatment. The commission has been set up to address shortcomings. Incidents like this should not occur in the future, and the necessary remedial measures will be taken," she said.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and other ministers also visited the hospital to oversee the treatment of the injured and review relief operations.

While Chief Minister Stalin has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh each for treatment of the injured, demands have been raised by parties like VCK, TMC, and DMDK for increased compensation to the victims' families.

On the other hand, Vijay announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for each of the bereaved families and Rs two lakh for the injured. Earlier in the day, the TVK chief had approached the Madras High Court seeking a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the tragic stampede at the rally.

The tragedy struck on Saturday evening at Velayudhampalayam, where thousands had gathered to hear Vijay speak. Witnesses said the crowd swelled beyond capacity, and as people pushed forward to catch a glimpse of the TVK leader, chaos erupted. A brief power disruption reportedly added to the panic. In the mishap, many were trapped in narrow exit lanes, while several others fainted and were trampled.

Read More

Karur Stampede: Injured Man Moves Madras HC To Ban Vijay’s Rallies; TVK Demands CBI Probe