Karur tragedy: SIT commences investigation, posters appear in support of Vijay

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Madras High Court to probe the September 27 ghastly deaths of 41 people, including children, in the rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam

(TVK) president Vijay, commenced its inquiry on Sunday from Velusamypuram, the site of the tragedy in the textile town.

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Led by senior IPS officer Asra Garg, IG (North Zone), the team inspected the area and held inquiries with eyewitnesses and the public. The SIT was ordered by Justice N Senthilkumar, who expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation by the local police. The Court also pulled up the police for not acting against Vijay, who had fled the scene and remains defiant.

With a rattled Vijay confined to his home ever since the tragedy occurred except a video message in which he dared the Chief Minister to take revenge on him but spare TVK functionaries and asserted that the truth will come out soon, posters have appeared in Villupuram town, in support of the actor who is ‘Thalapathy’ (general) for his ardent supporters and fans. The posters contained the slogans “We stand with Thalapathy” and “Protect Thalapathy and Redeem Tamil Nadu”. The posters also expressed deep condolences to the victims of the stampede.

The tragedy occurred when Vijay addressed a massive rally as part of his mass outreach from his caravan vehicle on the highway road on Velusamypuram. His arrival was delayed by 7 hours, and the massive crowd had been waiting since morning, and it was joined by those who accompanied the actor from Namakkal. Even as Vijay started his speech, some had swooned, and footwear was hurled at him. In the stampede after he left, 41 people had died and 116 were injured, of whom four people are still under treatment.

Acting swiftly, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the constitution of a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice (retd) Aruna Jagadeesan, which had conducted an on-the-spot inquiry in Karur for two days. However, the tragedy had resulted in a blame game between the ruling DMK and the opposition, with the AIADMK and the BJP, as well as the PMK and others, demanding a CBI inquiry.

Meanwhile, TVK general secretary and deputy general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar have approached the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court dismissed their pleas for anticipatory bail. The police have formed special teams to nab them. TVK Karur district secretary Mathiyalagan and another functionary, Paunraj, have been arrested, while Satheesh Kumar, TVK Namakkal District Secretary, is on the run.

In a related development, the Karur police have filed a case against Vijay’s caravan vehicle and its driver, as well as two other youths who fell after hitting the caravan but escaped with minor injuries. It is on top of the caravan that Vijay had been addressing his rallies amid the crowd. On Saturday, the Madras High Court had asked why the police had not registered a hit-and-run case against the caravan driver.