A political rally organized by TVK chief Vijay in Karur on September 27 took a devastating turn when a stampede broke out. The rally, which attracted thousands of supporters, took place on a narrow street where crowds had gathered on both sides to catch a glimpse of the actor-turned-politician. As Vijay addressed the rally from a vehicle, the crowd swelled, leading to chaos and a deadly stampede.
TVK Defenders Wing president S Arivazhagan, who appeared for the party in the court, said, “A petition has been filed before the Madras High Court, Madurai Bench, seeking transfer of the case from Karur Town Police Station to the Central Investigation Team for investigation into the entire incident,” according to news agency ANI.
“It has been convicted that the incident was solely motivated by the political party including DMK and its functionaries. Therefore, we have made various allegations and attached various photos and other valuable documents. The matter will be taken up on Friday, October 3,” he added.
#WATCH | Madurai, Tamil Nadu: On the Karur stampede incident, TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) lawyer Arivalagan says, “A petition has been filed before the Madras High Court, Madurai Bench, seeking transfer of the case from Karur Town Police Station to… pic.twitter.com/xjYcqX8wz8
-ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2025
The death toll rises to 41
The death toll in the Karur stampede tragedy rose to 41 on Sunday (September 28) after a 60-year-old woman, identified as Suguna, succumbed to her injuries at the Karur Government Medical College and Hospital, where she was undergoing treatment, The Hindu reported.
39 people died after a stampede at Vijay’s TVK rally on Saturday, September 27. The death toll rose to 40 on September 28 with another person reportedly succumbing to their injuries.
Tamil Nadu Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar had earlier said that 39 deaths were reported, including 17 women, 13 men, four male children and five girls in the incident, according to news agency PTI. Around sixty other people were injured.
TVK’s plea before the Madras High Court
The TVK party approached the Madras High Court on September 28 seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, alleging conspiracy and stone-pelting at the rally.
Read more: Karur stampede tragedy: Police register case against Vijay’s TVK as death toll rises to 40
Arivazhagan said on September 28, “The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor C. Joseph Vijay, has approached the Madras High Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the tragic stampede in Karur that claimed the lives of nearly 40 people yesterday,” according to the news agency. ANI.
He made a mention before Justice M Dhandapani, urging the court to take suo motu cognizance of the incident and ensure an impartial investigation. The plea highlighted that only an independent agency could uncover the lapses that led to large loss of lives during the party’s public meeting, according to ANI.
The judge ordered the lawyers to file a detailed petition before the Madurai bench of the High Court. The case is expected to be heard on the afternoon of Monday, September 29.
The victim moves HC against TVK
A man injured in the rally also approached the Madras High Court to plead for a restriction on political rallies by Vijay and TVK until the stampede case is fully investigated, accountability is fixed and effective security protocols are ensured.
The victim requested the Tamil Nadu DGP to stop him from granting permission for rallies, according to PTI.
Read more: Karur stampede: Vijay to give 20 lakh compensation to each family of 39 victims who died during TVK rally
The petitioner stated that despite the ex gratia grant announced by the government (₹10 lakh) and the appointment of a commission of inquiry headed by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan were steps in the right direction, but they were not enough to deal with the recurring danger.
Justice Aruna commission for investigation
Retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, who was appointed by the state government to conduct a detailed probe into the Karur rally stampede, continued her probe for the second day at the accident site.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also visited the incident site and then visited the hospital to meet the victims and their families.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to inquire about the incident. He also called TVK’s Vijay to offer his condolences.
Stalin thanked Gandhi for calling and asking about the treatment of the wounded. “Thank you, my dear brother Thiru RahulGandhi, for contacting me over phone, expressing your sincere concern over the tragic Karur incident and sincerely asking about the steps being taken to save the precious lives of those undergoing treatment,” he wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
