Chennai: A day after the Karur rally stampede claimed 39 lives and left more than 80 injured, police security at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay’s Chennai residence has been tightened.

Since Saturday night, 15 police personnel led by an inspector have been stationed at Vijay’s house in Neelankarai. The officers have set up roadblocks, are monitoring every vehicle passing by, and have been instructed to question anyone who appears “suspicious.”

This move comes even though the central government had already granted Vijay ‘Y’ category security earlier. Now, in the aftermath of the Karur tragedy, state police have amplified security at his doorstep.

Meanwhile, in Karur, questions continue to mount over how poor planning and inadequate security led to the deadly crush at Vijay’s campaign meeting.

TVK organisers had initially sought crowded spots like the Karur Bus Stand roundabout and the Lighthouse area for the event, but police denied permission. Instead, the meeting was held at Velusamypuram, the same venue where AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami had campaigned just two days earlier.

Crowds began gathering from 9 am on September 27, waiting through the scorching heat for Vijay, who was scheduled to address them at noon. By 2 pm, the crowd was around 4,000 strong, swelling further by late evening.

When Vijay finally arrived at 7 pm, hours behind schedule, a surge occurred as fans were forced to make way for his vehicle. With no room to move back, people fainted, collapsed onto a shed holding a generator and TV broadcast van, and were crushed in the chaos.

Survivors have blamed the disaster on poor crowd management and a lack of adequate police presence. “The situation could have been averted if people weren’t made to wait for hours. There was no planning, no proper execution,” said Karthick, a resident of Erode who attended the rally.

Opposition leaders have slammed the handling of the event. MNM chief Kamal Haasan called the tragedy “heart-rending,” while Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai urged that it serve as a lesson for all political parties to prioritise safety at mass gatherings.

But while victims’ families grieve and survivors demand accountability, the most visible action so far has been the increased barricading and police patrols outside Vijay’s Neelankarai residence.