Karur stampede: FIR details 'delay and overcrowding' ahead of Vijay's rally

According to the FIR, the crowd climbed over steel sheds and trees to get a better view, and when these collapsed, they fell on the crowd below, resulting in the fatal stampede. (Image: AFP)

An FIR registered after Sunday’s Karur stampede, which left 41 people dead, has outlined a series of events leading up to the tragedy during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay’s rally.

According to the FIR, the event had been planned for a 9 am start, and “by 11 am a large crowd had gathered”. Vijay was expected to address the gathering around noon. However, “he turned up only at 7 pm - four hours after they were told he would reach - having delayed his arrival to build ‘unnecessary expectations’,” the FIR noted.

The document also stated that the actor’s campaign bus made “multiple unscheduled stops, a de facto roadshow for which no permission was sought”. Police said these halts slowed traffic and added to the difficulties in crowd management.

Warnings about inadequate arrangements — including a lack of food, water, and basic facilities — had been issued to party leaders, including Vijay and senior figure N ‘Bussy’ Anand, a former Puducherry MLA. The FIR said these concerns were not acted upon.

One of the critical incidents mentioned in the FIR was when “TVK workers broke police barriers - set up to control the crowd and prevent disasters such as the stampede - climbed on the tin roof of a shed, presumably to catch a glimpse of the actor.” The roof later gave way, resulting in fatalities, it said.

The FIR referred to the overall conduct of the event as “a deliberate display of political power.” Police said that a combination of large crowds, insufficient facilities, and unplanned disruptions contributed to the tragedy.

Vijay remained inside his campaign vehicle at Velusamypuram, the venue, for an extended period, leading to overcrowding and restlessness among the crowd that had gathered to attend his rally on September 27, according to the FIR.

In the incident, at least 41 people have died and 60 were injured.

Meanwhile, a TVK source told news agency PTI Vijay has been asked by the police not to visit the government facility to visit the victims of the September 27 stampede due to the sensitive law and order situation.

The police have not booked any case against the actor, but registered an FIR against three key functionaries of the TVK --district secretary for Karur North Mathiazhagan, party's state general secretary Bussy Anand, and TVK deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar, in connection with the stampede.

Also on Monday, the probe panel, headed by Justice (retd) Aruna Jagadeesan, continued with the investigation into the stampede during Vijay's rally. The judge interacted with the patients at the government hospital and later said that she would submit a detailed report to the government once the probe was completed.

The toll due to the stampede at the rally increased to 41 on Monday, with a 60-year-old woman succumbing to her injuries at the hospital here.

The three party functionaries have been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (endangering life of others), and 223 (disobedience to order), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Preventing of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992, a police official said.

According to the police, Vijay had remained inside his campaign vehicle at Velusamypuram, the venue, for an extended period, leading to overcrowding and restlessness among the crowd that had gathered.

The stampede occurred after the crowd surged forward to have a closer glimpse of Vijay, the police said, adding that the narrow venue hardly afforded space for so many people, resulting in trampling. Police resorted to a lathi-charge in a bid to restore order. Many who fainted at the venue were rushed to the Karur government hospital.

According to the FIR, the crowd climbed over steel sheds and trees to get a better view, and when these collapsed, they fell on the crowd below, resulting in the fatal stampede. Several persons died due to suffocation and crush injuries, the FIR said.

Following the tragic incident, Vijay was advised against visiting the government hospital here as his presence might cause crowding at the hospital premises, the TVK source told PTI.

"Initially, he had planned to visit the injured and console them, but was informed that his presence might cause further crowding," a senior TVK leader said, as per PTI.

Following the tragic incident, the state government constituted a one-person enquiry commission under retired Justice Jagadeesan to investigate the incident.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, who had visited the victims, announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each to the affected families. Also, he had assured to take appropriate action based on the findings of the Commission.

Police protection at the government facility has been stepped up.

Meanwhile, former Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has claimed that the one-person enquiry commission was unlikely to be impartial, as it might not probe the police intelligence failure and other aspects.

"I have been in the administration. I can say that the Commission's probe would not be partial because there has been a police intelligence failure. The police failed to take note of the swelling numbers at the rally spot," Soundararajan told reporters in Chennai.

Further, there was no indication that senior police officials had visited the venue to regulate the crowd. None of the police officials has faced government action like suspension for the tragic incident, she added.

Expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala, who met the affected families, demanded a probe by a central agency.

"The power went off within minutes after the meeting concluded, and when it returned, people had already started rushing. The truth will emerge only when the matter is investigated thoroughly by a central agency," Sasikala told reporters.

With inputs from PTI