Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 3: The Madras High Court on Friday tore into actor-turned-politician Vijay and his outfit the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and also faulted the DMK government even while setting up a “Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the stampede in Karur during Vijay’s rally on September 27 that left 41 people, mostly women and children, killed and over 200 injured.
Issuing strong remarks against the TVK, Justice N Senthilkumar ordered the creation of the SIT led by senior IPS officer Asra Garg, while condemning what he called the party’s reckless conduct and the leader’s failure to show remorse and turned down the demand for a CBI probe into the tragedy and petitioner to approach the Madurai bench of the HC. The court also rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by TVK district secretary N Sathish Kumar, who was seeking bail in the stampede case.
.“As a human being, I condole the deaths; as a judge, it is agonising to witness so many lives lost,” Justice Senthilkumar said. “What action have you taken? You allowed this to happen, and now say only two have been arrested. Who is responsible? The leader, Vijay, disappeared – vanished – and there was no one left to help the people.”
Justice Senthilkumar also recorded that the court “highly condemns” the act of the TVK leaders in having “abandoned” the innocent people who had thronged the venue at Velusamypuram in Karur district just to take a glimpse of Mr Vijay but ended up losing their lives. He said, the party ought to have come to their rescue.
The orders were passed after expressing dissatisfaction over the probe conducted by the local police and after observing that the State appeared to be going soft on the TVK leaders and “showing leniency” despite the latter having “fled from the scene of occurrence” after the death of scores of children and women.
The judge said, the man-made disaster was so huge that even President Droupadi Murmu Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and many others expressed deep condolences and extended every possible help to the families of the deceased and also to the injured.
Garg is currently the Inspector General of Police, North Zone. The judge questioned why the party did not manage to control the mob and the unruly conduct of its members, including the rampage and the destruction of public property during Vijay’s roadshow.
Equally disheartened by the State’s failure to take stern action against the organisers, the judge wrote: “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.”
The remarks struck at the heart of both Vijay’s handling of the tragedy and the Tamil Nadu government’s cautious approach in dealing with the situation. While the state has so far named local district secretaries in police cases and avoided taking action against the superstar directly, the court questioned that restraint head-on. “What prevents you from taking further action pursuant to registration of FIR on Karur stampede?” the judge asked State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah.
Calling the deaths a “huge man-made disaster,” he said: “The court cannot close its eyes. The court cannot be a mute spectator. The court cannot shirk its responsibilities. The entire world has witnessed the sequences and consequences of the event.”
The court zeroed in on visuals widely shared since Saturday — motorbikes colliding near Vijay’s convoy, fans being pushed aside to make way for his bus, and chaos as ambulances struggled to enter. “There are videos showing two-wheelers caught under TVK’s campaign bus. The driver saw it, yet did not stop. Is this not a case of hit-and-run? Why was no such case registered?” Justice Senthilkumar asked. “It appears the State is showing leniency toward the organisers of the event.”
Additional Advocate General J Ravindran defended the administration, noting that TVK had initially sought permission for Karur only in December, but abruptly advanced the date to September 27. “First, they sought permission at Karur lighthouse roundabout,” he said, adding that police rejected that location and approved Velusamypuram. The party estimated 10,000 attendees, and police deployed 559 personnel — far more than the 137 officers present when opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami campaigned there a day earlier. The judge pressed harder: “Does this mean you should not be more cautious and vigilant in assessing the crowd?”
The court repeatedly pointed to TVK’s absence at the moment of crisis. “What kind of party is this? Everybody in the party fled from the place,” Justice Senthilkumar said. “The party leaders have abandoned the scene of the occurrence. The court highly condemns such an act of the political party, especially when children and women have died. The party has not expressed even remorse, and it shows the mental state of the leader.”
Senior Counsel G Sankaran, representing the petitioner, noted that no case had been registered against Vijay himself. The judge turned to the state’s law officer and reminded that everybody is equal before the law. The order to form an SIT, with Asra Garg at its head, came minutes later.
Ravindran argued that TVK had “misled innocent people” by tweeting a wrong starting time of noon, prompting crowds to gather from morning, long before the scheduled 3 pm slot. He said 11 conditions had been imposed, and police could not have anticipated the crush that followed when Vijay’s convoy entered the already congested space.
Government Advocate S Santhosh told the court that nine FIRs had been registered against TVK functionaries, including the district secretary, for damage to public property. He opposed anticipatory bail petitions filed by party cadre. But the court was unconvinced. “If police will not fix accountability, then who will fix the accountability?” Justice Senthilkumar asked.
The hearing also revealed the delicate balance the M K Stalin government had struck since the tragedy. By not arresting or naming Vijay in the FIRs, officials sought to avoid inflaming sympathy for a star who commands a cult-like following across the state. The government and the political leadership of DMK worried that any immediate move against him would be seen as politically motivated.
That restraint, however, left the government exposed to charges of inaction. At the same time, the judicial rebuke that took TVK and Vijay to task spared the government from a direct confrontation with the actor and his followers. Vijay, who left the scene after the stampede, took a defiant stand on Tuesday. In a video he released, he avoided an apology, offered condolences, and suggested that “truth will come out soon,” fanning conspiracy theories spread online by his followers. More provocatively, he turned to Stalin: “CM Sir, if you are desperate to find fault with us, do it with me. Don’t lay your hands on them. I will be here at home or at the office. Do whatever you want to do with me.”