On the night of September 27, 2025, a Saturday, Lalli carried the toddler in her arms and walked to the venue of the rally in Karur, a textile hub in Tamil Nadu. Her husband and their two youngsters went as nicely. They had been excited to listen to the favored actor, Vijay, tackle the group as president of his fledgling political get together, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The rally was a part of the actor-turned-politician’s State-wide tour. Tamil Nadu is scheduled to have Assembly elections in 2026.
At the venue, the group saved swelling regardless of the warmth. Vijay arrived a number of hours late, and there was allegedly little safety in place. Many folks fainted, whereas others tried to get nearer to Vijay’s automobile. Chaos erupted and the ensuing crowd crush left 41 folks lifeless, together with 10 infants, and injured greater than 100 folks. Most of the grownup victims had been aged 18-30.
“I assumed I might save him. This guilt will stick with me till I die,” says Lalli, who’s sitting with members of the family in Thuruvishnu’s home. The cries of the household echo by the home in Vadivel Nagar in Velusamypuram, barely 50 metres from the place Vijay addressed the group.
Lalli’s brother Vimal, a 25-year-old daily-wage employee, and his spouse Matheswari, 22, had Thuruvishnu two years after getting married. On the morning after the stampede, the couple carried out the final rites of their 22 month-old son. He was the youngest to die within the stampede.
Matheswari (centre) misplaced her 22 month-old son within the crowd crush. | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh
A lethal cocktail
For the folks of Velusamypuram, the place homes and textile outlets could be discovered on either side of the roads, the rally has left deep scars. Many residents insist that the catastrophe was neither unintended nor unforeseeable, and that it was the result of poor planning and official neglect.
Crowds had begun to assemble on the spot of the rally, scheduled to start at 3 p.m. on September 27, from the earlier night time. Young males roamed the stretch placing up posters, stringing banners, and blaring TVK songs on loudspeakers.
“By round 10 a.m. on Saturday, many individuals had already arrived. By 3 p.m., site visitors couldn’t transfer by this highway. And by night, there was merely no area for anybody to even flip,” says G. Sitharam, a resident.
Many consider that the timing of the rally was poor. “Saturday night is when textile employees accumulate their wages in Karur. There is already some rush at the moment. If you maintain a big political rally in such a congested pocket on the identical time, you’re simply asking for hassle,” says B. Balusamy, one other resident.
Vijay arrived late, say residents. Even as 1000’s of individuals waited to catch a glimpse of the actor, 1000’s extra got here from neighbouring hamlets and districts.
“Had he saved to the schedule, folks would have left early. But he arrived after 7 p.m. The city was overflowing with folks by then,” says V. Balaji, a textile employee from Gowripuram in Karur city.
Also learn:Karur stampede: a package deal on the tragedy at Vijay’s TVK rally in Tamil Nadu
Residents additionally allege that that they had little entry to primary wants, particularly consuming water. Karur has a sizzling, semi-arid local weather and whereas September marks the top of the most popular season, temperatures through the day can soar to 37-38°C.
“People stood within the solar for hours. I noticed youngsters faint, and boys climbing transformers simply to catch a glimpse of Vijay,” says G. Chitra, a homemaker and resident of Velusamypuram. “There was just one resort close by, which was open. But the meals there was too costly for employees and daily-wage households. In the encompassing outlets, there was no meals obtainable.”
Lalli recollects the moments earlier than the stampede occurred. “When Vijay started to talk, there was an influence reduce, and the mic failed. The crowd grew stressed. I used to be holding Thuruvishnu in a single hand and my daughter within the different when somebody shoved us. I fell and he slipped from my arms.”
For two hours, a hapless Lalli, who was injured herself, searched the lanes, earlier than being admitted to the Karur Medical College Hospital. She discovered solely the following morning that her nephew had been discovered lifeless. Thuruvishnu’s father, Vimal, had recognised him in TV footage from the federal government hospital. He had rushed to the spot to seek out his son’s small physique on a stretcher.
A descent into chaos
Karur residents draw parallels with different latest political gatherings, together with by the 2 most important events within the State — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Ok. Veeramani, a resident of Velusamypuram, says, “The DMK’s Mupperum Vizha drew a a lot bigger crowd. [Mupperum Vizha is a festival held in honour of icons of the Dravidian movement, such as Periyar and party founder C.N. Annadurai.] But it was held close to the ring highway, the place there may be area. Even the Opposition chief, Edappadi Palaniswami [of the AIADMK], addressed a gathering right here two days earlier with out incident. Why did this collapse into chaos?”
Participants say hassle started when Vijay’s automobile began shifting by the group on one of many carriageways of the highway with a median. His automobile inched its solution to the chosen spot, the place he was to deal with the gathering.
As folks, together with those that had been ready since morning, tried to get nearer to the automobile, a significant commotion broke out. People had been pushed again and plenty of misplaced their steadiness and fell on the highway, say residents. Minutes after Vijay climbed on a makeshift stage atop his automobile, frantic folks tried to depart the world any which manner, to save lots of their lives.
Amid this confusion, Vijay delivered a couple of minutes of his speech. The ambiance turned electrical when he broke right into a jingle, concentrating on former State Minister V. Senthilbalaji in reference to a money-laundering case.
Photos and movies that emerged later present folks throwing footwear in the direction of the marketing campaign automobile whereas Vijay was talking. Some video clips confirmed lathi-wielding policemen charging at some folks within the crowd. On listening to the frantic cries of individuals within the crowd, Vijay tossed water bottles at them. A video additionally confirmed the actor pausing his speech when he noticed ambulances struggling to make their manner by the group.
It was solely when he appeared to understand the magnitude of the scenario that Vijay reduce quick his speech. He rapidly left the venue, went to Tiruchi, which is sort of two hours away by highway, and flew to Chennai on a chartered aircraft; this drew a variety of criticism. He ignored journalists on the airport. Hours later, the actor posted on X, expressing grief over the incident and providing condolences to these killed.
According to officers of the Karur Medical College Hospital, 39 of the victims had been introduced in lifeless, whereas two others died later. A senior physician says the first reason behind demise was compressive asphyxia, triggered by intense stress on the chest through the crowd surge. “Many folks collapsed inside minutes of being caught within the crush,” the physician says, including that in some circumstances, he discovered rib and spinal fractures.
The First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Karur city police on September 27 says Vijay’s arrival was intentionally delayed so extra folks might come to the rally. It says the police warned TVK leaders of the cadre’s behaviour, however their warnings weren’t heeded. It additionally says that whereas the organisers had said that 10,000 folks would come, greater than 25,000 folks turned up on the rally.
The folks, who waited in massive numbers for a number of hours with out meals, water, and medical help, turned fatigued because of the warmth and crowding, which consequently led to a crush leading to a number of deaths, the FIR provides.
The police charged TVK’s Karur (west) district secretary V.P. Mathiyazhagan, get together normal secretary A ‘Bussy’ Anand, State joint normal secretary C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar and others beneath Sections 105 (culpable murder), 110 (try to commit culpable murder), 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), and 125 (b) (endangering lifetime of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1982. They have arrested Mathiyazhagan and central city secretary M.C. Pounraj and remanded them in judicial custody.
The blame sport
The tragedy, believed to be the primary of its sort in a political rally in India, drew nationwide consideration. As quickly as information of it broke, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and leaders of assorted political events expressed grief and shock over the tragedy.
The State authorities responded swiftly, arranging medical support and in a single day autopsies, and promptly handed over the our bodies to the grieving households. It additionally constituted a one-member Commission of Inquiry by retired High Court Judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the tragedy.
Justice Aruna Jagatheesan, the one-woman inquiry fee shaped to research the stampede, visits Velusamypuram in Karur, the location of the incident. | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh
Hours after the tragedy, Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin flew right down to Tiruchi and drove to Karur previous midnight, to console the bereaved households and name on the injured. The authorities directed docs and specialists to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital, to maintain the individuals who continued to reach in ambulances till late at night time.
He later gave an announcement saying, “No political get together chief would ever want for his or her followers or harmless civilians to die. When political events and public organisations conduct such occasions, it’s the responsibility of all of us to determine guidelines on the best way to act responsibly sooner or later.”
The subsequent day, AIADMK normal secretary Palaniswami and a number of leaders of assorted political events additionally visited the injured on the hospital. Palaniswami blamed the police for failing to supply ample safety. Terming the probe panel an “eyewash”, he demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The TVK has moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, additionally searching for a CBI inquiry into the tragedy.
The BJP constituted an eight-member delegation of Members of Parliament (MP) of the National Democratic Alliance, led by MP Hema Malini, to check the explanations for the stampede. The crew visited Karur on September 30 and interacted with the survivors. They demanded an neutral probe led by a sitting decide of the Supreme Court. Malini advised reporters that the venue was “inappropriate” for a rally held for 1000’s of individuals. She mentioned that each the organisers and the administration needs to be held accountable. A day earlier than the crew visited the district, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman additionally visited Karur and consoled households who misplaced family members.
The incident has emerged as a rallying level for the TVK and the principle Opposition events, together with the AIADMK and the BJP, to carry the DMK authorities chargeable for the tragedy. The State authorities has strongly refuted the costs made towards it.
Vijay, who has not but visited the grieving households or the injured being handled in hospitals, issued a video assertion three days after the tragedy. “As a human being, how might I go away the place when so many individuals had been affected? I selected to not go there instantly solely to keep away from the danger of any additional unexpected incidents,” he mentioned. He additionally addressed the Chief Minister and advised him with a dramatic flourish to “take revenge towards him, and spare the TVK cadre”.
What the police say
The police say Velusamypuram is usually recognized by political events as a location for public conferences. According to S. Davidson Devasirvatham, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, the organisers had initially sought permission for the rally on the mild home roundabout. This was denied on the grounds that it was not an appropriate location to carry a gathering. A day later, they sought permission on the Uzhavar Sandhai. They had been denied permission once more, on the grounds that the situation was slender. Finally, they had been allotted Velusamypuram, and the organisers consented to this.
Karthick from Erode district, who is likely one of the survivors, is vital of the police. “Only a number of policemen had been standing alongside the aspect of the highway. Many of the policemen had been posted within the outer ring of the assembly spot, solely to control the site visitors,” he says. “Only round 10-15 policemen had been strolling alongside or in entrance of the automobile. The tragedy might have been prevented if extra policemen had been posted on the assembly spot and a big venue had been supplied.”
Dismissing the accusations, Devasirvatham says there was ample safety in place. The police deployment was in a ratio of 1:20 (police-public), he says. As the group swelled, Devasirvatham says extra policemen had been known as in from the neighbouring districts.
A policeman on the situation of anonymity says the scenario brought about panic, even among the many police. “I noticed an individual try to get a glimpse of the actor and slip and fall close to his automobile. The crowd trampled over him. Many folks, who turned drained and dehydrated, fell down on the highway, solely to be crushed by others. No one got here ahead to save lots of the injured. Everybody was centered solely on catching a glimpse of Vijay.” He says he lifted up seven folks trapped within the crowd. Of them, he laments that he might save just one.
While some blame the DMK and others blame Vijay for the tragedy, for many individuals, grief has not was anger towards the actor. Sanjay, who misplaced his 7-year-old brother S. Kirthikyadav within the crowd crush, feels the actor can’t be held totally accountable. “Thalapathy [the honorific name popularly used for Vijay] would by no means have needed this for us. If it had been in his management, he would have stopped it. He would by no means enable one thing like this to occur to any of us,” he says.
Lalli, too, echoes the sentiment. “We are Vijay’s followers. He is like household to us,” she says.
Neela, Thiruvishnu’s aunt, sits moreover Matheswari. She says the mom, who suffers a speech and listening to impairment, is in shock. “The ache in her eyes says all of it.”
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