Madras HC Orders SIT Probe into Karur Stampede, Criticises TVK Workers

The Madras High Court has directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by senior IPS officer Asra Garg, to probe the deadly stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur. The tragedy on September 27 claimed 41 lives and injured over 60 people.According to a PTI report, Garg currently serves as the Inspector General of Police for the North Zone. The court’s single-judge bench also reportedly criticised the officials of Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).The High Court has also rejected a plea requesting a CBI investigation into the incident. While dismissing the petition, the bench advised the petitioner to approach the Madurai bench of the court.On Friday, the Madras High Court also turned

down the anticipatory bail application of TVK district secretary N Sathish Kumar, who had sought bail in connection with the stampede case.While hearing a writ petition challenging the exclusion of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s name from the FIR related to the tragedy, a single-judge bench led by Justice N Senthilkumar observed that the incident was a massive man-made disaster that resulted in the loss of innocent lives."Watching the videos is painful," Justice Senthilkumar said while expressing shock over the fact that only two people had been arrested so far in connection with the incident. Coming down heavily on the conduct of TVK leaders, Justice Senthilkumar observed that they had "abandoned the scene of occurrence" and failed to take moral or legal responsibility for the incident. "The court cannot close its eyes and shirk its responsibilities," the judge, according to LiveLaw. The judge raised concerns over the party’s failure to control the crowd and criticised the unruly behaviour of its members, including the vandalism and damage to public property during Vijay’s roadshow.The stampede at Vijay’s rally claimed 41 lives and left numerous others injured. The event attracted a massive crowd and an initial investigation indicates that lapses in crowd management contributed to the tragedy. In response, Vijay and his party announced a two-week suspension of all political rallies and paused his statewide election campaign.Reports indicated that the crowd swelled uncontrollably while Vijay was addressing the gathering. Party workers and children were among those who collapsed. Observing the situation, Vijay paused his speech to distribute water and arrange for ambulances, but emergency vehicles faced difficulty navigating the densely packed streets. Fainted individuals were rushed to nearby hospitals, with several still in critical condition.Following the tragedy, questions were raised about safety arrangements at the TVK event. The party alleged the stampede was part of a “conspiracy” and approached the Madras High Court. TVK’s district secretary, Mathiyazhagan, was arrested on Monday in connection with the incident.