TVK leaders Bussy Anand and CT Nirmal Kumar, named in the Karur stampede FIR that killed 41, told the Madras High Court allegations against them are “false” and “politically motivated.” Police, however, blame TVK’s mismanagement for the tragedy.
Chennai: Two senior leaders of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), General Secretary Bussy Anand and Joint General Secretary CT Nirmal Kumar, have moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
Both leaders have been named in the First Information Report (FIR) filed in connection with the tragic stampede in Karur, Tamil Nadu, last week that killed 41 people, including women and children.
In their bail pleas, the TVK leaders have strongly denied the charges and insisted that they were being targeted unfairly.
They have stated that the accusations against them are
“false, baseless, and intended to implicate us for political reasons.”
They further added that they are “law-abiding citizens with no criminal antecedents” and said that the stampede was the result of “an unexpected surge of a huge crowd beyond the control of any individual.”
The leaders have also put the blame on the police for the tragedy. According to their petitions,
“The respondents (police) did not provide sufficient protection to regulate the gathering.”
They have alleged that “goons” had entered the rally, created chaos, and even attacked their party chief Vijay.
They claim that the troublemakers “hurled ‘chappals’ (slippers) at TVK chief Vijay, and even caused injury with weapons,” which they say triggered panic among the massive crowd.
The petitions further mention several lapses in crowd management. They allege that “an ambulance driven without a patient” was brought into the rally area and that this created unnecessary confusion.
They have also accused the police of using force without any reason, stating that officials “resorted to a lathicharge without cause.” Another allegation is that “a power cut occurred within five minutes of Vijay beginning his speech,” which worsened the situation.
The leaders argue that despite their “repeated oral requests to women and children not to attend,” the police “failed to control the entry of vulnerable groups.”
One of the petitioners has also emphasized in his application that he is completely innocent and is being “targeted for political reasons.”
The police, on the other hand, have strongly rejected these claims and blamed TVK leaders for negligence. In their version, the FIR mentions that although the party had posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Vijay would arrive at noon, he reached the venue almost seven hours late.
The police have alleged that the TVK deliberately stretched the programme to highlight the strength of their party leader. Investigators have also pointed out that Vijay’s roadshow was carried out without official permission, which they claim created “unnecessary expectations” among his supporters.
According to the police, TVK leaders, including Anand and Nirmal Kumar, ignored repeated warnings. They allegedly stopped Vijay’s vehicle away from the designated location and conducted a reception that broke official conditions.
The crowd, which had already grown restless, reportedly broke barricades and climbed onto a tin shed roof and nearby treetops. Both collapsed, leading to many injuries.
The FIR also highlights that the supporters had been waiting for hours without food or water, which left many of them weak and added to the tragedy.
The official permission granted by the authorities was only for a meeting between 3 pm and 10 pm, and the expected number of attendees was around 10,000. However, the police estimate that over 25,000 people turned up, creating a situation that was impossible to control.
The tragic incident took place on September 27, when the crowd surged uncontrollably, resulting in the deaths of 41 people. The stampede has caused widespread outrage across the state.
Following the incident, TVK chief Vijay announced financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the families of each victim and Rs 2 lakh for those who were injured.
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