A tragic turn of events unfolded at the Vijay rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on 27 September 2025 when a stampede broke out during a political event held by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). At least 40 people lost their lives, including children, and many others were injured. AP News+2Wikipedia+2
Amid mounting public outrage, one survivor has now approached the Madras High Court to challenge the government’s decision to allow TVK and its leader Vijay to hold further rallies without ensuring adequate safety protocols. Here’s what is known so far:
What Happened at the Vijay Rally
-
The rally in Karur was granted permission for around 10,000 attendees, but the crowd swelled far beyond that — estimates range from 27,000 to more. Wikipedia+3The Times of India+3Reuters+3
-
Several attendees fainted due to overcrowding, heat, lack of sufficient drinking water, and inadequate access routes. Women and children were among those severely affected. The Times of India+1
-
There was a significant delay: Vijay arrived several hours late, which reportedly caused the crowd to swell further and the situation to become unmanageable. The Federal+1
-
Organizers allegedly ignored suggestions to shift parts of the rally or take preventive steps such as better crowd controls or improved lighting. The Federal+1
Survivor Moves High Court: What the Petition Seeks
-
A survivor of the Vijay rally stampede, named Senthilkannan, has filed a petition in the Madras High Court. Live Law+2Hindustan Times+2
-
The petition requests that no further permission be granted to TVK or to Vijay to conduct public meetings, rallies, or political events until:
-
The full investigation into the Karur tragedy is complete. Hindustan Times+1
-
Clear responsibility is fixed (i.e., those accountable are legally identified). Hindustan Times+1
-
Effective safety protocols are put in place for large gatherings to prevent any such recurrence. India Today+2Hindustan Times+2
-
-
The plea also asks the High Court to direct the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) not to grant any further rally permissions to TVK until these conditions are met. Hindustan Times+2India Today+2
Government / Police Response & Investigation
-
Authorities filed criminal cases against senior TVK leaders, including Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and V.P. Mathiyazhagan. Reuters+2www.ndtv.com+2
-
The state formed a commission led by a retired judge (Aruna Jagadeesan) to inquire into what caused such a tragic stampede. Reuters+3AP News+3The Times of India+3
-
ADGP S Davidson Devasirvatham has claimed that while the event suffered from organisational lapses, there was no shortfall in police deployment. He stated that some safety suggestions were ignored. The Federal+2India Today+2
-
The High Court considered urgent mentions and suo motu cognisance (taking up the matter on its own) of the incident. Hindustan Times+2Live Law+2
Court Proceedings: Current Status
-
The case filed by the survivor requested a Sunday hearing, but the High Court cancelled the urgent hearing on 28 September. www.ndtv.com+2Live Law+2
-
Formal petitions (including the survivor’s move and TVK’s request for independent inquiry) are being heard by different benches. The Madurai Bench has been scheduled to hear some parts of the petitions. Live Law+1
Key Issues Raised
-
Whether permission granted to TVK for large gatherings properly accounted for safety measures. Hindustan Times+2Hindustan Times+2
-
Whether the event being delayed and overcrowded was due to negligence or possibly worse (some TVK leaders have alleged conspiracy). www.ndtv.com+1
-
Accountability: which officials (or organizers) will be held responsible for the deaths and injuries. www.ndtv.com+1
What We Still Don’t Know
-
The full report of the inquiry commission (led by the retired judge) has not yet been made public.
-
Exact numbers of injured vary in reports; final death toll might still change.
-
Whether permission for future rallies of Vijay / TVK will be restricted or conditional pending the court’s ruling.
Why This Matters
The Vijay rally stampede brings up serious questions about public safety in political campaigns, crowd management norms, and how permissions for such large events are granted. The case may set precedents for:
-
stricter regulation of crowd size vs venue capacity,
-
better enforcement of safety protocols,
-
legal liability of organizers and political parties, and
-
oversight by judiciary when disaster strikes in public gatherings.
FAQs
Q1. What is the Vijay rally stampede?
The Vijay rally stampede refers to the tragic crowd crush incident at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu on September 27, 2025, organized by TVK founder Vijay. It resulted in 39–40 deaths and many injuries. AP News+2Wikipedia+2
Q2. Who moved to court against the permission for TVK rallies?
A survivor of the stampede, Senthilkannan, has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the state authorities (notably the DGP) from granting permissions for future TVK rallies until investigations are complete and safety measures are put in place. Hindustan Times+1
Q3. What are the allegations made by TVK in its legal action related to the stampede?
TVK has alleged that there was a conspiracy and that state authorities may have failed in their duties. They are seeking either a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or transfer of the case to the CBI for independent inquiry. www.ndtv.com+1
Q4. What does the police or government admit in terms of lapses?
The police admit to organisational lapses — delays, overcrowding, mismanagement of crowd flow. But they have claimed there was no shortfall in police deployment. Authorities also point out that suggestions were made (e.g., shift rally venue or improve access) but allegedly ignored. The Federal+1
Q5. What is the status of the High Court hearing?
The High Court postponed/cancelled the urgent hearing scheduled for Sunday, 28 September 2025, because the petition was not formally filed or numbered in time. Other parts of the petitions (independent inquiry, for example) are set to be heard by the Madurai bench on 29 September. www.ndtv.com+1
