Scene at Karur GH where injured from a stampede at actor Vijay’s rally were being rushed in, on September 27, 2025
| Photo Credit: M. Moorthy
The Madras High Court on Sunday (September 28, 2025) agreed to hear at 4.30 p.m. an urgent plea moved to restrain Tamil Nadu Director General of Police/Head of Police Force from granting permission for any kind of public meetings, rallies or public gatherings by actor C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) until the completion of an inquiry into the death of 39 people at his rally in Karur on Saturday (September 27).
Justice N. Senthilkumar, the Dussehra vacation judge holding the criminal portfolio, agreed to hear a petition filed by N. Senthilkannan of Karur district to implead him as one of the respondents in a pending case filed by TVK, and issue consequential directions to the DGP. The impleading petitioner insisted the party should not be allowed to conduct any public gathering until effective safety protocols were put in place after inquiry.
In Pictures: Stampede at Vijay’s TVK rally in Karur
Emergency personnel quickly rush an injured person from the TVK rally stampede to the Karur General Hospital, on September 27, 2025.
Chappals strewn across the ground are visible in the aftermath of a stampede at actor and TVK chief Vijay’s rally in Karur on September 27, 2025. At least 39 people were killed and more than 80 injured in the stampede.
Actor and TVK chief Vijay watches an ambulance trying to navigate a path through the crowd on September 27, 2025. The organisers had announced that TVK president Vijay would speak at 12 noon. The crowd began to assemble from 9 a.m., but he did not arrive at the scheduled time.
Anxious relatives gather outside the hospital where the injured were being treated after a stampede at TVK rally in Karur.
The State Government has announced a commission to be headed by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe into the circumstances that led to the stampede, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin visits the hospital to meet the injured persons. He announced a solatium of ₹10 lakh each to the families of those who died in the stampede, and ₹1 lakh for those who were injured and are being treated in hospitals.
This view shows the area of the campaign venue at Veluchamy Puram in Karur where a high number of casualties were reported.
The crowd, which began to assemble from 9 a.m., slowly grew in size as the day progressed.
There were roughly less than 4,000 people by 2 p.m. The supporters, who came from different parts of Karur and nearby Erode and Coimbatore districts, began to surge around 4 p.m., after learning that Mr. Vijay was on his way to Karur after having completed a rally in Namakkal.
Many of them, including women with children, continued to wait for him in spite of the scorching sun, and some of them even skipped lunch to keep their spots. The organisers kept playing specially penned campaign songs to engage the crowd. Mr. Vijay reached the designated spot only at 7 p.m.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin visits the hospital to enquire about the health condition of the injured, in Karur on September 28, 2025.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami enquires an injured person at the Karur Medical College Hospital, on September 28, 2025.
BJP leaders Nainar Nagendran and Tamilisai Soundararajan visit the injured admitted at the hospital, on September 28, 2025.
A view of the Karur Medical College Hospital where the injured persons have been admitted and are being treated. The Karur district administration has set up emergency helplines for those seeking information on victims of the stampede. Residents can contact the District Collectorate Emergency Control Room at 04324-256306 or via WhatsApp at 7010806322.
1/3
TVK had approached the High Court complaining about “onerous” conditions being imposed by the Tamil Nadu police for the campaign being carried out by its president across the State. During the hearing of the case, Justice N. Sathish Kumar had taken serious note of the damage being caused to public as well as private properties during the public gatherings conducted by political parties.
During the hearing of TVK’s case on September 18, Justice Kumar had impressed upon the need for the State to collect security deposits from all political parties, whenever they intend to hold public meetings or such other events, and use the money to compensate the loss caused to public/private properties by party cadres. He called for formulation of guidelines for the purpose of collecting security deposits.
Also read | Karur stampede: Crowd mismanagement, lack of amenities worsened the tragedy, say locals
However, on September 24, when an Assistant Inspector General of Policer serving in the office of the DGP/HoPF filed an affidavit stating there were no legal provisions to collect such security deposit to indemnify the loss to public/private property, the judge expressed displeasure and suo motu impleaded the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary as parties to the case for taking a policy decision by October 16.
It was in this petition that an impleading petition had now been filed and agreed to be heard urgently by vacation judge Justice N. Senthilkumar since he holds the criminal portfolio during the Dussehra vacation from September 27, 2025 to October 5, 2025.
Another case
In the meantime, TVK advocate S. Arivazhagan met Justice M. Dhandapani, the vacation judge for the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court during this week and requested to take up an urgent plea to moved by his party for hearing by a Division Bench of the High Court.
Justices Dhandapani and Justice M. Jothiraman agreed to hear on Monday (September 29) afternoon the case to be filed by TVK, for preventing any kind of coercive action against it.
Published – September 28, 2025 01:50 pm IST
