- By Chetna Shree
- Fri, 17 Oct 2025 05:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Karur Stampede: The Madras High Court on Friday issued notices to the Election Commission of India, the Tamil Nadu government, and the state police chief, asking them to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks to amend the FIR in the Karur rally stampede case.
The petition seeks to amend the FIR and include actor-turned-politician and chief of the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) Vijay as an accused. The PIL also calls for a ban on involving children in political rallies and urges the court to evolve standard operating procedures for political gatherings.
The Bench, comprising Chief Justice MM Srivastava and Justice G Arulmurugan, directed that the plea be heard along with similar petitions seeking guidelines for political gatherings. The Bench stated that a special division will be constituted as per the Supreme Court’s directions, which will hear all these pleas together.
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Petitioner Seek Stricter Action Against Vijay And Organisers
A petition was filed by Madurai-based advocate C Selvakumar, urging the Karur Town Police to apply stricter penal sections, including IPC Sections 304A, 336-338, Sections 75 and 83 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and Section 3 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, against TVK chief Vijay and other organisers.
The petitioner also alleged that the police intentionally removed Vijay’s name from the FIR and invoked lighter sections to let the accused “escape the clutches of law.” It also urges the court to restrain the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) from granting permission for any political rallies or roadshows until the Karur stampede case is resolved.
Petitioner Alleges Negligence, Seeks Compensation For Karur Stampede Victims
The petitioner attributed the Karur rally stampede tragedy to “negligence and mismanagement” by actor-turned-politician Vijay and his organisers. He cited a seven-hour delay, absence of basic amenities such as food, water, and toilets, and alleged violations of police instructions as key factors that led to the incident.
The plea also seeks Rs 1 crore compensation for each victim to be recovered from the political leadership responsible for the event.
The tragic stampede on September 27 in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district claimed the lives of 41 people, including nine children and left over a hundred injured. Following the incident, two TVK district secretaries, including Mathiyazhagan, have been arrested. The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into the matter, which will be monitored by a retired judge.