Karur Stampede: FIR Blames Vijays 'Deliberate Delay To Display Strength’, Unauthorised Roadshow For Tragedy
Tamil Nadu police blamed actor Vijay for the Karur stampede, citing a delayed arrival and unplanned roadshow that drew a massive crowd exceeding expectations.
A First Information Report (FIR) into the fatal stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, which has claimed at least 41 lives and injured 60, attributes the tragedy to a "deliberate delay" in the star's arrival and the resultant crowd chaos. The toll tragically rose to 41 on Monday after a 60-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
The FIR, lodged by Police Inspector G. Mathialagan, names three office-bearers of the TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam)—Mathyiyalagan (Karur district secretary), Bussy N. Anand (state general secretary), and CTR Nirmal Kumar (state joint secretary)—but does not directly name the party chief, Vijay, news agency PTI reported. The three have been booked under stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, alongside charges related to damaging public property.
According to the FIR, the entire sequence of events was exacerbated by the TVK chief’s late arrival at the designated venue, Velusamypuram, on September 27. The report states that Vijay entered the Karur district at about 4.45 PM via Velayuthampalayam and Thavittupalayam.
The FIR alleges that the delay was intentional. "Vijay deliberately caused the delay by conducting a roadshow without permission in several places," it said. Furthermore, it noted that "Also, violating conditions, receptions were held at several places, and thus, further delay was caused." By the time the TVK chief reached the Velusamypuram junction around 7 PM, the crowd was described as uncontrollable.
The police report details multiple warnings given to the party functionaries regarding the dangerous crowd conditions. Police inspector G. Mathialagan stated that he, along with the police deputy superintendent, had "advised and warned TVK office-bearers Mathiazhagan, Anand, and Nirmal Kumar about the serious risk of heavy overcrowding."
The FIR alleges that the TVK functionaries failed to heed these warnings and did not regulate their cadres. The police stated that the crowd had become uncontrollable, and party leaders were warned about "creating unnecessary expectation and abnormal circumstances that could lead to suffocation, grievous injury, and death."
The police highlighted that the crowd's fatigue, coupled with the long wait, led to the disastrous stampede. According to PTI, the FIR said that organisers had "deliberately delayed Vijay's arrival by four hours to display political strength by showing a huge crowd of people."
The police noted the physical toll this wait took: "In view of such a delay, thousands of people waiting there for many hours became tired and dehydrated due to the scorching sun and thirst." Compounding the danger, the report states that cadres, "by throwing caution to the wind," perched atop tin sheets in front of shops and tree branches, ultimately falling onto the people below.
Police said in the FIR that as a result of the falls, "many choked, leading to an abnormal situation." The lack of basic amenities was also noted, with the police pointing out the "absence of drinking water and overcrowding" and the fact that there was "no medical facility" at the location.
Following the tragic incident, a senior TVK leader told PTI that Vijay was advised against visiting the government hospital to see the injured, as his presence "might cause further crowding" at the premises.
Karur Stampede: Political Blame Game Erupts
The disaster has sparked a sharp political confrontation between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Vijay’s TVK, which is preparing for its first Assembly election next year. TVK leaders have alleged that the tragedy was not accidental but the outcome of a “conspiracy” orchestrated by the DMK.
“There was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy in the incident at Karur…” TVK’s lawyer Arivazhagan dismissed claims that the party ignored safety rules. He cited previous rallies in Madurai, Trichy, Ariyalur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Namakkal that went off smoothly.
DMK, however, has chosen restraint. Party spokesperson Syed Hafeezullah said, “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.”
Chief Minister MK Stalin appealed for calm in a video statement on X, cautioning the public not to “spread defamation and rumours on social media about Karur” and urging everyone to act responsibly.
Karur Stampede: Power Cut Allegation Adds Fuel To Controversy
Meanwhile, India Today reported that TVK had written to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (EB) seeking a temporary power shutdown during Vijay’s speech, citing safety concerns over the anticipated late-night crowd at Veluchamipuram. The EB confirmed receiving the request but declined it.
Rajalakshmi, Chief Engineer and District West Secretary, said the party wanted electricity turned off while Vijay addressed the rally. “Since Veluchamipuram is a crowded area and a large crowd of people will come, I humbly request you to turn off the electricity only for the specified time when the leader is speaking, considering the safety,” the letter stated.
TVK sources have accused local politicians and police of colluding with “goondas” to engineer the tragedy, claiming the blackout was intentional, as per India Today's report.
Eyewitnesses said that there was indeed a power outage from 7 to 7:30 pm, the report stated. Vinod Kumar, whose sister-in-law and two young children died, recounted: “It was getting very late, but they wanted to see Vijay sir once. There was a power cut from 7 to 7:30 pm, and the crowd surged just ahead of his arrival. My sister-in-law and her two children, aged 11 and 7, died on the spot.” Post-mortem reports confirmed suffocation as the cause of death.
However, the Tamil Nadu government rejected allegations of a deliberate power cut. The state’s Fact Check Unit posted on X that, “There was no power cut at the event. Although the TVK party had requested a power supply interruption, no such power cut occurred. The brief dimming of a few lights was solely due to a generator issue in the party’s arrangements.”
The district collector and the Additional Director General of Police echoed this clarification.
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