A stampede occurred at a TVK (Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam) rally for actor Vijay in Karur, tamil Nadu.
Death toll: 40; Injured: nearly 100.
Allegations of police security lapses have emerged, though state police claim adequate personnel were deployed.
Police attribute chaos to unexpectedly large crowds.
Police Deployment and Crowd Estimates
ADGP (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham: Karur event classified as high-risk.
500 police personnel deployed; 1 officer per 50 attendees.
Organizers permitted 12,000 attendees; police estimated 25,000, actual crowd ~27,000.
Previous TVK rallies: Trichy (650), ariyalur (287), Perambalur (480), Nagapattinam (410), Tiruvarur (413), Namakkal (279).
Comparison: AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami’s Karur rally had only 137 police personnel due to disciplined crowds.
Chaos During the Rally
ADGP admitted extreme chaos; the injured could not be pulled out quickly.
Even Vijay’s safety was compromised.
Two ambulances were provided by TVK; 10 more from private hospitals were sent post-accident.
The rally started four hours late; Vijay arrived at 6 pm.
Organizers ignored police advice to stop 50 meters before the speech, and crowd anxiety increased.
Many supporters had been waiting since 11 am without food or water.
Investigations and Allegations
Initial incident at the crowd edge under investigation.
TVK alleged a power outage; tamil Nadu electricity Department denied disruption.
The party had installed generators and focus lights; it was affected due to a crowd surge.
Police claim organizers did not follow conditions; TVK claims police failed in crowd management.
TVK intends to seek an independent investigation; it accused DMK of a “conspiracy,” denied by DMK.
High court Response
Madras high court canceled the urgent hearing scheduled for september 28, 2025.
Vacation bench (Justice N. Senthilkumar) noted it was an impleading petition in an existing case, not a new petition.
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