A writ petition has been filed in the Madras high court, accusing the Tamil Nadu government of shielding actor-politician Vijay in the stampede case in Karur which left 41 dead and many others injured at his rally on September 27. The petition questions why the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief’s name was not included in the FIR over the stampede.
Petitioner P.H. Dinesh sought directions to restrain the home secretary and the DGP from granting TVK or any other political party permission for road shows until SOPs were framed for such events. He alleged that proceedings initiated against the second rung of TVK leaders were an eyewash.
The vacation bench of Justice N. Senthilkumar will hear the plea today (October 3).
The petition claims that the stampede was caused due to careless planning and negligence. It held the TVK responsible for the catastrophe. It alleged that the crowds were misled into believing that Vijay would address them at Karur around noon on September 27, but the star-politician arrived only after 7 p.m. “The long delay, lack of drinking water and absence of barricades caused the tragedy,” said the petitioner.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu police formed three special teams to look for TVK general secretary Bussy Anand and deputy general secretary C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar in connection with the stampede on September 27. The names of the two state leaders had figured in the FIR which also named two local functionaries who were arrested on September 30.
Incidentally, former minister and DMK MLA V. Senthilbalaji said that the state government had taken swift action and it was the TVK which had violated rules, leading to the stampede.
