The Madras High Court has declined to grant anticipatory bail to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leaders N Anand and CTR Nirmal Kumar, who are facing criminal charges following the catastrophic stampede that claimed 41 lives during actor-turned-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur.
Justice M Jothiraman, while rejecting the plea, cited the gravity of the offences, the preliminary stage of the investigation, and the continuing treatment of several injured victims as key reasons for denying relief.
The court observed that the alleged incident was recent — unfolding on September 27 in Veluswamypuram, Karur district — and that granting anticipatory bail at this stage would be premature.
The deadly stampede erupted during a TVK event addressed by Vijay, leaving women and children among the deceased and dozens more injured. An FIR was subsequently filed against several TVK office bearers (excluding Vijay) under charges that include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, for negligence in ensuring safety and underreporting crowd estimates.
Counsel for the accused argued that the case was politically motivated and built on questionable grounds. He contended that a mere delay in Vijay’s arrival could not be treated as a criminal act, and that the rally site had been assigned by local authorities despite earlier warnings about its suitability.
“The State has to answer why this particular ground was allotted when it was earlier rejected for another party. Crowd management is the State’s responsibility,” the defence submitted.
The prosecution, however, maintained that the TVK leadership’s negligence directly led to the disaster. The State argued that the leaders actively encouraged massive attendance without issuing a single public advisory urging discipline or safety measures.
“These were reckless and heartless acts,” the State said, opposing bail on grounds that the investigation had only just begun.
After hearing both sides, the High Court refused anticipatory bail, allowing the investigation to continue unhindered.