One of the affected families said the TVK founder and chief connected with them via video call on the evening of Monday, October 6, news agency PTI reported.
“He (Vijay) called my son-in-law and expressed his sincere condolences. He expressed regret over the incident and said it should not have happened. He also assured the family of his support,” one of the relatives of the Karur stampede victim told reporters, according to PTI.
Tamilaga party leader Vettri Kazhagam had been criticized for not visiting families affected by the stampede in person.
Vijay reportedly told another family that he was like their son. “I am like your son,” Vijay told a woman while consoling her.
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Vijay asked TVK members to reach out to the affected families, but it was unclear whether he would travel to Karur to meet the victims, PTI reported citing party sources.
Supreme Court to hear plea of CBI probe
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 7) agreed to hear a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
A bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran agreed to hear the plea of BJP leader Uma Anandan challenging the Madras High Court order denying a CBI probe.
A Madras High Court bench had ordered the BJP leader to approach the Madurai court on October 3. Another court had also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.
The gathering turned deadly
Vijay’s political rally in Karur turned deadly on September 27 after people gathered in large numbers at a venue meant to accommodate only 10,000-15,000 people.
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Vijay was also late by around seven hours in reaching the venue, which caused the gathering to grow. People at the scene complained about the lack of water and sanitation facilities at the site, which caused chaos at the site.
The stampede cost the lives of 41 people and left more than 60 injured.
