In the aftermath of the stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur that killed 40 people, the Tamil Nadu government has moved with striking caution. It has opened criminal cases against second- and third-tier functionaries of Vijay’s fledgling party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), but stopped short of naming the superstar himself.
Top officials said the deliberate restraint is rooted in political calculations. Any immediate action against Vijay — arrest, interrogation, even a mention in the FIR — could risk sparking a sympathy wave for the state’s most bankable film idol, and play directly into the narrative that the ruling DMK is targeting a political rival.
Instead, the state has set up a one-woman commission, headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, to investigate the causes of the stampede. The government is also preparing for the likelihood that the Madras High Court may initiate suo motu proceedings on Monday. “The government wants to avoid any harsh step that looks hasty,” a senior official said, adding, “Let the committee or the judiciary provide the first push.”
A CBI investigation is now likely, with Vijay’s camp hinting at conspiracy and petitioners, some linked to the BJP, pressing for such an investigation.
On Saturday night, Karur Town police booked TVK’s Karur West district secretary, V P Mathiyazhagan, under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), citing violations of campaign norms at Velusamypuram — the area in Karur where the rally was held. By Sunday, the case had been expanded to include the party’s state general secretary, N Anand alias ‘Bussy’ Anand, and joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar.
The BNS sections invoked in the FIR, ranging from culpable homicide not amounting to murder (109) to acts endangering life (125b) and disobedience of orders (223), along with the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, are serious. But conspicuously absent from the FIR was not only Vijay’s name but also that of his new close associate, Aadhav Arjuna, general secretary (elections), who is also the son-in-law of lottery baron Santiago Martin.
Police officers said the investigation is ongoing. “The expansion (of the FIR to include) other TVK office bearers is based on evidence of organisational lapses. Whether this goes higher is for later,” an officer said.
Behind DMK’s caution
The DMK government’s caution was visible in its public posture. Chief Minister M K Stalin, who flew to Karur in the early hours of Sunday to meet victims’ families, limited his comments to condolences and procedure. Asked directly whether Vijay would be arrested, Stalin replied he would not answer questions with “political motives” and stressed that action would follow Justice Jagadeesan’s inquiry.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin struck a similar note, saying “all leaders have the right to campaign” and urging parties to focus on crowd safety. He said that responsibility ultimately lay with organisers and second-tier leaders.
On Sunday morning, behind closed doors, senior police officers told The Indian Express that the logic was clear. “Unlike the late Jayalalithaa, who took bold calls, Stalin will think 100 times before risking the optics of arresting a filmstar with mass popularity. It could boomerang. Better to let the courts or the commission provide cover,” said a senior officer.
Meanwhile, TVK has struggled to project control. Its Karur district office has remained locked since Saturday night. No leaders of TVK were present at the Karur Medical College on Sunday. Phones of local and state functionaries went unanswered. None of the deceased were TVK workers — most were ordinary fans. Of 40 victims, 10 were under 18, nine were in the age group between 40 and 60, and the others were in the 18-40 age group.
Vijay announces compensation
On Sunday, Vijay released a statement calling the tragedy an “irreparable loss” and announcing compensation of Rs 20 lakh each for the families of the dead and Rs 2 lakh for the injured. “This amount is not significant in the face of such a loss,” he said. “But it is my duty as one who belongs to your family to stand by you.”
Yet, his absence from Karur after the stampede has drawn criticism. He left the town soon after the incident on Saturday night, stopping in Trichy to catch a late-night flight back to Chennai. He avoided cameras and did not meet the media.
While the state government has tightened security around Vijay’s beachside residence in Chennai, the legal battle has begun to unfold. Advocates of TVK approached Justice M Dhandapani of the Madras High Court, urging a CBI or Special Investigation Team probe into the stampede. They also requested the court to initiate suo motu proceedings. Justice Dhandapani advised them to file a petition before the Madurai Bench, which is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday afternoon.
Separately, Justice N Senthilkumar was to hear an urgent petition at 4.30 pm on Sunday seeking a ban on TVK’s public gatherings until the inquiry is completed. The HC later clarified that it had cancelled one listed hearing because the filing was an impleading petition in an already pending case.
The combination of a probe commission and active court petitions means that Vijay’s political and legal future will hinge less on immediate police action than on institutional processes in the coming days.
For the DMK, the calculus is stark. Vijay commands a fan base that has long blurred into political muscle in Tamil Nadu, where stars from M G Ramachandran to Jayalalithaa leveraged cinema fame into electoral power. To arrest him now, before inquiries conclude, could be framed as political vendetta.
Other parties react
AIADMK rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran has said the government’s decision to appoint a one-person commission was a wise move. Other parties have used the moment to criticise both the TVK and the DMK government. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan said Tamil Nadu’s obsession with cinema had become “painful”. He said after visiting victims’ families, “This crowd did not gather to see a political leader, but to see a filmstar.”
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan called the incident “heart-rending” and urged the state to ensure adequate relief and medical care. Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai said the tragedy should serve as a lesson in planning for public gatherings. The BJP’s state president, Nainar Nagenthran, instructed district leaders to assist victims’ families and accused the state of lapses.
For now, the Jagadeesan Commission has begun work with a visit to the site on Sunday evening. The Chief Minister has ordered it to report “as early as possible”. Two patients remain in critical condition, and 81 others are still under treatment.
