TVK’s Vijay speaks to families of Karur stampede victims; assures visit and support

Chennai: Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay on Tuesday has reached out to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic stampede at his rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur last month.

Speaking to them through a video call on Tuesday, the TVK chief expressed his condolences and assured the families that he would personally visit them soon, officials said.

What happened at Vijay’s Karur rally?

The stampede occurred on September 27 during Vijay’s public meeting in Karur, leaving 41 people dead and around 60 others injured.

According to state police, nearly 30,000 people had gathered at a venue designed to hold only 10,000, leading to severe overcrowding.

Officials also noted that security protocols were not properly followed, and there were shortages of food and drinking water, factors that worsened the situation.

The day after the incident, Vijay announced ₹20 lakh in compensation for the families of each victim. The TVK also decided to suspend the leader’s statewide tour, which had been scheduled to run for two weeks.

In a post shared on X, the party said, "In this situation where we are in pain and sorrow over the loss of our loved ones, the public meeting programme of our party leader for the next two weeks is being temporarily postponed. New details regarding these public meetings will be announced later."

What’s the latest on the investigation?

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear on October 10 a plea challenging the Madras High Court’s decision that had rejected a request for a CBI probe into the Karur stampede.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the petition filed by BJP leader Uma Anandan, who is seeking a central agency investigation into the incident.