October 2, 2025

A shocking stampede in Karur caused the death of 41 people at a public roadshow tied to actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president, C. Joseph Vijay. But now, fiery questions have been raised because Vijay’s name is missing from the First Information Report (FIR) filed about the tragedy — all because of “political reasons,” says a petition in the Madras High Court. The petition, set for review by Justice N. Senthilkumar on Friday, October 3, 2025, calls on the Home Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) to hold back permission for any more roadshows until proper safety rules or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) are made. P.H. Dinesh, a 44-year-old resident of Villivakkam, Chennai, filed an affidavit charging the TVK with full blame for the mass deaths. He said the disaster happened due to “careless planning and complete negligence by the organisers.” Why the horror? The crowd had gathered to see Vijay and hear him speak at Velusamypuram in Karur, expecting his arrival at 12 noon. But he didn’t appear till after 7 p.m.! The people were forced to wait more than 7 hours under poor conditions - no drinking water, no barricades to control the crowd. The crowd lost control when Vijay threw water bottles from his caravan. People rushed madly to grab the bottles, causing the deadly stampede. The police did file an FIR against some TVK leaders like ‘Bussy’ Anand (general secretary) and C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar (deputy general secretary), but shockingly, “for reasons best known to the authorities... the FIR did not include the name of Mr. Vijay,” the affidavit said. This, the petitioner insists, is “purely for political reasons.” Dinesh calls it an “eye-wash” move by the authorities to target only second-rung TVK leaders while protecting Vijay. He has made a formal request to the Home Secretary and DGP for a fair investigation. His request highlights attempts to “shield” Vijay despite his direct role in the tragic deaths, warning that this denial of justice “undermines the rule of law” and hurts the victims’ families. He also demands setting clear SOPs for future events — including risk checks before permission to hold rallies, limits on crowd size and timing, and emergency evacuation plans. As the court prepares to hear this critical petition, all eyes now look toward stricter safety rules for political roadshows and seeking justice for the 41 innocent souls lost in Karur.

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Tags: Karur stampede, C. joseph vijay, Tamilaga vettri kazhagam, Fir controversy, Public safety, Madras high court,