Vijay’s TVK moves Madras High Court over Karur stampede, seeks SIT/CBI probe; alleges DMK conspiracy

Dubai: Actor-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has alleged a criminal conspiracy by the ruling DMK behind the stampede at its Karur rally that killed 40 people and left nearly 100 injured on Saturday.

TVK’s legal coordinator Arivazhagan told NDTV that the party has filed a petition in the Madras High Court, seeking an independent probe.

The petition urges the court to either form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“There was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy in the incident at Karur. We received reliable information from locals and we have CCTV footage showing the involvement of ruling party functionaries,” Arivazhagan alleged.

He said the matter will be raised before the Madurai bench of the High Court on Wednesday.

Clash of narratives: TVK vs DMK government

The Tamil Nadu government has accused TVK of flouting safety rules, claiming the venue had a capacity of only 10,000 people but nearly 27,000 gathered. NDTV sources also alleged that Vijay’s delayed arrival — he reached around 7 pm despite crowds assembling from noon — was deliberate, designed to swell numbers and increase the frenzy.

TVK has denied the charge, insisting the delay was due to traffic congestion and not a political ploy.

“We did not violate any police conditions. Our rallies in Madurai, Trichy, Ariyalur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Namakkal went off safely. Why only Karur? This raises serious doubts,” Arivazhagan countered.

Top TVK leaders face homicide charges

In a dramatic escalation, Tamil Nadu police have booked two of Vijay’s closest aides on serious charges:

• N Anand, TVK General Secretary, Vijay’s long-time associate and former MLA from Puducherry’s Bussy constituency (popularly known as Bussy Anand).

• CT Nirmal Kumar, TVK Joint General Secretary.

Alongside them, Karur West district secretary VP Mathiyazhagan and three other functionaries have also been named in the FIR.

The accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent conduct endangering human life, and disobedience to lawful orders. They have also been booked under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act.

Judicial inquiry announced

The DMK government has ordered a judicial probe led by a retired High Court judge into the tragedy. The administration has also promised to hold those responsible accountable, citing what it described as gross lapses in crowd management and safety compliance at the Karur event.

Meanwhile, TVK has doubled down on its conspiracy charge, insisting that the truth will emerge only if the case is investigated by a central agency.