Chennai: In the wake of the deadly stampede at actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur, where the toll has risen to 40, the party has approached the Madras High Court seeking an independent and transparent investigation into the tragedy.  

TVK Deputy General Secretary C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said on Sunday that the party’s plea has been listed for urgent hearing before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday at 2.15 p.m. 

"Our petition seeking an impartial and transparent probe into the Karur tragedy will be taken up for hearing before the Madurai Bench tomorrow afternoon," Nirmal Kumar told reporters. 

Earlier, a team of TVK lawyers led by Nirmal Kumar visited the residence of Justice M. Dhandapani to make an urgent mention, urging judicial intervention to ensure justice for the victims. 

The team requested that the court direct an independent inquiry, citing the scale of the incident and the need for accountability in crowd management and safety arrangements. 

The stampede occurred late Saturday evening during Vijay’s mass outreach rally at Velusamypuram in Karur. 

Thousands had gathered since morning under intense heat, with limited food, water, and medical support. When Vijay’s arrival was delayed - he reached the venue around 7.40 p.m., though the party’s social media had hinted at an early appearance — sections of the crowd surged forward, triggering chaos. Victims were trampled and suffocated in the dense, narrow lanes leading to the venue. Nine of the dead were children; most of the others were women. Over 60 remain under treatment at government and private hospitals.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who rushed to Karur past midnight, expressed deep anguish and said such a tragedy should never happen again. He announced that a judicial commission led by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan will probe the incident thoroughly. 

Stalin also declared Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured. 

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami visited the injured and accused the state of serious lapses in security planning. "Proper crowd control and safety protocols were ignored. This is a man-made disaster," he charged, urging the government to fix accountability.

With the death toll climbing and public anger intensifying, the coming days are expected to see sharper political confrontation even as the judiciary steps in to determine responsibility for one of Tamil Nadu’s worst public tragedies in recent memory. 

(IANS)