Madras High Court Orders SIT Probe Into Vijay’s TVK Rally Stampede

Chennai: Days after a stampede at actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur killed 41 persons, the Madras High Court (principal seat in Chennai) on Friday ordered constitution of a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Inspector General of Police Asr Garg. It also rapped and condemned the TVK leaders for “abandoning” innocent people who had turned up to watch Vijay but ended up dying. The court also wanted the police to take action against the party’s office bearer Aadhav Arjuna for his deleted social media post calling for a Nepal-like Gen Z revolt.

In a related development, the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) declined to order a CBI probe in the case since investigation by the police was in the nascent stage but asked the State not to grant permission for political rallies on highways till a Standard Operating Procedure was drafted. Separately, the court dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions of the party general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand and another office bearer CTR Nirmal Kumar, who have been named in a FIR.

In the main case in Chennai, Justice N Senthilkumar, directed the Karur police to handover the papers related to the FIR to the SIT. The judge said the State appeared to be going soft on the accused and showing leniency despite the leaders fleeing from the scene of occurrence after several children and women died.

Regretting the party leadership had not expressed any remorse, Justice Senthilkumar said it showed their “mental state”. At the same time, he added, “The court, however, cannot close its eyes. The court cannot be a mute spectator. The court cannot shirk its responsibilities. The entire world has witnessed the sequences as well as consequences of the event.”

Calling it a man-made disaster, the judge said even the President and Prime Minister had expressed condolences and extended help to the victims. The judge took note of a petition pointing out that Vijay was arraigned in the FIR. Citing video clips of two-wheeler riders getting injured after falling near Vijay’s caravan, he asked why no hit and run case was booked. The police ought to suo motu register a FIR based on the videos, he said.