• Source:JND
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A victim of the stampede during TVK chief Vijay's political rally has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the police from granting permission to the actor-turned-politician for the rally until the investigation is completed.

The complainant Senthilkannan, who claims to have suffered injuries during the deadly stampede on Saturday evening, has stated that the incident was "not a mere accident but the direct result of reckless planning, gross mismanagement, and complete disregard for public safety".

He has sought a restraining order against Vijay's rallies by arguing that the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution can override the Right to Assembly under Article 19 (1)(b) if the public safety is at stake.

Senthikalan has also emphasized the FIR registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) in the tragedy. He argued in his petition that the accountability must be fixed before any permission is granted.

The stampede that broke out at the TVK chief's rally claimed the lives of at least 39 people while leaving over 60 injured.

ALSO READ: Vijay Rally Stampede: 2-Year-Old Among 10 Minors Killed In Karur Stampede; Police Identifies All 39 Deceased | Full List

The injured were rushed to the hospital, while Vijay left for Chennai, abruptly ending his speech. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin initiated quick action by sending local DMK leader and former Minister Senthil Balaji to the site and directing all private hospitals to admit the stampede patients without money.

He also formed a high-level judicial commission headed by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan. He also announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of the deceased.

The state police have booked top TVK leaders, including general secretary N Anand. Meanwhile, the political temperature has also risen in the state as TVK has also moved to the Madras High Court, alleging a criminal conspiracy.

ALSO READ: Karur Stampede Live: Vijay’s TVK Alleges Conspiracy, Moves Madras HC After 39 Killed In Rally | Updates

TVK has demanded an independent investigation out of the ambit of the state agencies. "There was a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy in the incident at Karur, so we requested the honorable high court to investigate the matter independently, not by state agency," TVK's lawyer Arivazhagan was quoted as saying by NDTV.

"The court has to constitute a special investigation team, or they have to transfer the case from Tamil Nadu police to CBI," TVK lawyer added.