TVK’s Bushi Anand and CTR Nirmal Kumar approach Madras HC for anticipatory bail after Karur stampede killed 41. Leaders claim “the magnitude of the crowd was unexpected” and cite poor police deployment as main reason.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leaders, including General Secretary Bushi Anand and Joint Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, approached the Madras High Court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the tragic Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives during a campaign rally of party chief Vijay.
The plea follows the filing of an FIR on Monday against the leaders, which also resulted in the arrest of TVK district secretary Mathiyazhagan. Another party official, Masi Pounraj, was taken into custody on Tuesday.
According to the anticipatory bail petition accessed by India Today, TVK claimed that inadequate police deployment was the primary reason for the stampede.
The petition noted that
“the power supply was cut just five minutes after Vijay began his speech” and insisted that “the tragedy could not be attributed to any wilful neglect by TVK officials.”
The party also alleged that some goondas at the rally contributed to the chaos by attacking people and throwing footwear at Vijay.
The plea stated,
“The magnitude of the crowd was unexpected. We tried our best to regulate the crowd.”
It further highlighted that
“an ambulance being driven without a patient further triggered the disorder,” emphasizing that “the sheer scale of the unforeseen crowd was the sole cause of the incident.”
Police officials confirmed that an FIR was filed on Monday against three senior TVK leaders: District Secretary Mathiyazhagan, General Secretary Bushi Anand, and Joint Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar. Mathiyazhagan has already been arrested in connection with the incident.
The accused leaders have been charged under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (endangering life), and 223 (disobedience to order) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
In addition, they face charges under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.
In their plea, TVK leaders submitted that party members had actively tried to manage the crowd during the rally.
They reportedly even
“orally cautioned women and children to avoid the campaign venue” to prevent any mishaps.
The petition also stated that when the crowd swelled, some goondas
“entered the area and utilised the situation to cause injury with weapons and caused stampede.”
The plea added that
“while Vijay was delivering his speech, an ambulance was permitted to pass through the crowd without a patient, though a parallel road was available for diverting the ambulance,” which allegedly “triggered the stampede.”
Based on these circumstances, TVK argued that
“the unfortunate incident was purely due to the unexpected surge of the huge crowd and there was no wilfulness or disobedience on the part of the party or its functionaries.”
Separately, Aadhav Arjuna, the General Secretary of TVK’s Election Campaign Management, has filed a petition in the High Court seeking to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fair probe.
In his petition, he claimed that the
“acting government had initiated the target action against TVK party with an intention of wreaking vengeance and has conspired by providing less security personnel.”
He also alleged that the government
“has miserably failed in its duty and has stooped down to the level of creating events at the cost of lives of innocent people to malign the party.”
Arjuna urged that
“CBI’s intervention is necessary for an unbiased investigation.”
The case has sparked significant political and legal debate, with the High Court yet to decide on the anticipatory bail pleas and the potential transfer of the probe to CBI.
The proceedings are being closely watched given the large scale of the tragedy and the multiple allegations against both the party and the government.
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