In Karur, Tamil Nadu, a local court has sent two key members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party to judicial custody until October 14. The decision comes amid the tragic Karur stampede that killed 41 people during a rally for TVK president and actor Vijay on September 27.
The arrested individuals include Mathiyazhagan, TVK’s Karur West District Secretary, and MC Paun Raj, a Karur town functionary who helped set up flagpoles and banners for the event. Police arrested Mathiyazhagan on Monday and Paun Raj on Tuesday, after medical checks. An FIR names three TVK leaders in total, including the Karur District Secretary.
TVK lawyer Manikandan strongly defended the party, telling reporters that they followed every police rule to the letter. “We submitted a letter in advance and got permission for the meeting from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., expecting around 10,000 people,” he said. “We’ve held tons of events and campaigns before—statewide and zonal levels—without any problems. But in Karur, the crowd suddenly swelled way beyond what we planned, especially once Vijay arrived. It’s the police’s job to handle crowd control; they have the authority and intel for that.”
Manikandan pointed out that the rally started smoothly for the first 10 minutes, but things spiraled quickly. He added that police had even advised canceling one earlier meeting due to crowd concerns, yet didn’t provide enough officers this time. The lawyer noted the judge allowed the TVK team to apply for bail and promised actions would follow the law.
The Karur stampede has shocked Tamil Nadu, highlighting challenges in managing large political gatherings for new parties like TVK. In a show of support, BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Tejasvi Surya visited families of the victims earlier this week to offer condolences.
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