Karur tragedy: Vijay to face music, Stalin assures SIT will bring out truth

With Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday assuring that the SIT, constituted by Madras High Court to probe the ghastly September 27 stampede at Karur during the rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay, will bring out the truth, the police is likely to register a case against him and also seize his campaign caravan.

Justice N Senthilkumar on Friday had ordered the constitution of the SIT headed by senior IPS officer and North Zone Inspector General Asra Garg, pulling up the state police for inaction.

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Stalin, maintaining that the SIT will bring out the truth about the stampede, also asserted that accountability with all levels will be fixed.

“The Tamil Nadu government is taking note of the observations and guidelines of the Hon’ble High Court and implementing them with all seriousness. As the Chief Minister I assure this SIT probe will unearth the whole truth and fixing accountability at all levels will be ensured,” he wrote on ‘X’, adding “By holding extensive consultations with all stakeholders including domain experts, political parties, activists and the public, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be framed. It would serve as a model for the entire country.”

“Rather than indulging in a blame game, let us proceed towards a lasting solution and I welcome suggestions from one and all in this cooperative endeavour. Each life is precious and let us join hands so that such a horrendous tragedy never recurs not only in Tamil Nadu but in the country as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police facing the heat of the High Court for not acting against Vijay for the stampede, are likely to file a case against him and seize his campaign caravan on top of which he had thus far addressed the rallies, beginning from Trichy on September 13. This follows the Court, during Friday’s hearing, asking the police “Is there any pressure.”

“Motorbikes are seen colliding near Vijay’s convoy, fans are being pushed to make way for his bus,” the Judge said after a perusal of the videos of the rally, and made a caustic observation asking, “There are videos showing two-wheeler caught under TVK’s campaign bus. The driver saw it… yet he didn’t stop. Is this not hit-and-run? Why was no such case registered? It appears that the State is showing leniency toward the organisers of the event.”

A defiant Vijay, who has not expressed remorse, is expected to face the music with the Court lifting the veil off the delicate balance the DMK administration has been maintaining by neither arresting the actor nor naming him in the FIR, lest that result in huge sympathy for the TVK leadership. Since he has a cult-like fan following, it is understandable that the ruling DMK is worried and hence it is measured in dealing with the issue.

However, this had invited the charge of inaction with a judicial rebuke.

Now, it remains to be seen whether the DMK government walks the talk and acts against the film star turned politician, confined to his home ever since the tragedy