The Tamil Nadu police on September 29 arrested Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s Karur district secretary, Mathiazhagan, who is among the three senior functionaries of actor-politician Vijay’s party, who were named as prime suspects in the September 27 stampede that killed 41 people. General secretary Bussy Anand, joint general secretary C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar and Mathiazhagan were mentioned in an FIR which alleged that delays, mismanagement and chaos at Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur on September 27 triggered the horrific crowd crush. The police said that waiting for hours in the heat, lack of drinking water and medical facilities, and overcrowding set off panic which led to the stampede.
The FIR, filed by the Karur town police, alleged that the rally was “deliberately delayed”. The TV channels had announced that Vijay would arrive at noon, because of which crowds started to gather from 10 a.m. onwards. While the organisers had sought permission for 10,000 volunteers, more than 25,000 showed up. Around 500 policemen were deployed.
According to the complaint, Vijay entered Karur via Velayudhapalayam and Thavittupalayam at 4.45 p.m., allegedly holding unsanctioned road shows and parking his vehicle in the middle of the crowds, worsening the congestion.
The FIR claimed that despite repeated warnings to TVK functionaries to control the volunteers, supporters climbed tin sheds and trees which later collapsed and crushed the people below. The police have registered a case under sections 105, 110, 125(b), 223 of the BNS and section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act.
While the whereabouts of the accused are unknown, police simultaneously moved against online misinformation. Three men — Sagayam (38) of Perumbakkam, Sivanesan (35) of Mangadu, and Sarathkumar (32) of Avadi — were arrested on September 29 for circulating allegedly false claims that fuelled panic. The trio was produced before a magistrate and remanded to custody.
The Madras police also filed cases against 25 social media accounts tracked by a special monitoring unit.
