Chennai: Chennai police rushed to the ECR, Neelankarai residence of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor C Joseph Vijay after receiving a phone call on Sunday claiming that a bomb had been planted at the premises.

A bomb disposal squad was deployed and thorough searches were conducted both inside and outside the property, while visuals showed heavy security arrangements.

The alert comes just a day after tragedy struck at Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur, where a massive crowd surge led to a deadly stampede. The death toll has now risen to 41 after a 65-year-old woman, Suguna, succumbed to injuries while on ventilator support. Among the deceased are 18 women, 13 men, and 10 children. The majority of victims were from Karur district, with others from Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, and Salem.

Eyewitnesses and officials reported that overcrowding at the Saturday evening event triggered panic, causing several people to faint and sparking chaos. Following the tragedy, Vijay announced financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court held a special hearing on Sunday on a petition seeking to restrain TVK from conducting further public rallies until the official inquiry into the Karur incident is complete. Justice N Senthilkumar heard arguments that large gatherings posed risks without accountability and urged swift investigation.

Political leaders including Chief Minister MK Stalin, opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, and Union ministers expressed condolences and called for stringent crowd management measures. The Tamil Nadu government has already ordered a high-level probe into the lapses.

On his part, Vijay moved the Madras High Court requesting a CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the stampede. The outcome of this plea and the ongoing investigations are expected to shape the immediate future of TVK’s campaign activities.

(With ANI inputs)