Madras High Court Orders SIT Probe into Karur Stampede, Criticizes TVK Leadership

High Court Mandates Special Investigation Team

The Madras High Court on Friday, October 3, 2025, ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the tragic stampede that occurred during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on September 27, 2025. The incident resulted in the deaths of 41 people and left around 100 others injured. The court's directive came amidst strong criticism of the organizers, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-politician Vijay, and the perceived leniency of the state government.

The SIT will be headed by Inspector General of Police (North Zone) Asra Garg, and will include Vimala, SP, Namakkal, and Shyamaladevi, SP. Garg has been granted the authority to select additional members as deemed fit. The court instructed the police to immediately hand over all related documents to the SIT and ordered the seizure of all CCTV footage from the incident site, particularly footage from inside and outside the bus carrying the political leader, as well as the bus itself.

Details of the Tragic Event

The stampede unfolded on September 27, 2025, in Velusamypuram, located on the Karur–Erode highway, during a rally organized by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The event, part of Vijay's campaign ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, was reportedly permitted for a maximum of 10,000 attendees. However, government estimates and eyewitness accounts suggest that between 25,000 and 27,000 people had gathered at the venue.

The crowd crush occurred when large sections of the audience surged towards Vijay's convoy, which arrived nearly seven hours late. Survivors and witnesses cited poor planning, insufficient security personnel, and inadequate crowd control measures as primary contributing factors. The death toll of 41 included a two-year-old toddler, at least nine children, 18 women, and 13 men, with most victims in their 20s and 30s.

Court's Strong Condemnation and Further Directives

Justice N. Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court expressed 'agony' and 'anguish' over the loss of lives, severely criticizing the TVK leadership and Vijay for their conduct. The court noted that the leader 'vanished and disappeared from the place of occurrence' and that there was 'no remorse on their part' for abandoning cadres and followers.

In addition to the SIT probe, the High Court issued several other significant orders:

• Prohibition of Highway Rallies: The court temporarily barred political parties from conducting public meetings or events on state and national highways in Tamil Nadu until Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for such events are finalized and put in place.
• Hit-and-Run Case: The court mandated the registration of a hit-and-run case against Vijay, citing two accidents involving his campaign vehicle that did not stop after hitting bikes of accompanying cadres.
• Dismissal of CBI Probe Plea: A plea by BJP leader Uma Anandan seeking a CBI probe into the incident was dismissed, with the court stating that the state's investigation was at a nascent stage.
• Anticipatory Bail Pleas: The court reserved its order on anticipatory bail pleas moved by TVK General Secretary N. Anand and Joint Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, who were named in the First Information Report (FIR) for charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Political and Official Responses

Following the tragedy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a one-member commission, headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, to investigate the incident. The state government also announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹1 lakh for the injured.

The TVK, on its part, announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh for the families of those who died and ₹2 lakh for the injured. Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their condolences, with PM Modi announcing an ex-gratia payment of ₹200,000 for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

The Tamil Nadu Police had accused the TVK's leadership of ignoring their advice and failing to take adequate precautions. The TVK, however, alleged that a police lathicharge led to the stampede, a claim the DMK government termed 'baseless'.