Karur stampede victim moves HC against nod to TVK to hold rallies

Chennai: A man injured in the September 27 stampede in the political rally of TVK founder Vijay on Sunday moved the Madras High Court with a plea to forbear Tamil Nadu DGP from granting permission to conduct any further public meetings by the party leader until Saturday’s fatal incident was fully investigated, responsibility fixed and effective safety protocols ensured.

The victim pleaded with the HC for a direction to the DGP from granting permission to conduct any further public meetings, rallies or political gatherings by TVK and its leader Vijay till such time.

In his petition, Senthilkannan sought to implead himself as a party to the petition filed by TVK, which sought a direction to the Director General of Police (DGP) to forthwith instruct all subordinate police officials throughout the State to consider and grant necessary permissions to it for conducting political campaigns led by Vijay across Tamil Nadu between September 20 and December 20, 2025 on the basis of the petitioner’s representation dated September 9, 2025.

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Senthilkannan submitted that the tragedy was not a mere accident but the direct result of reckless planning, gross mismanagement, and complete disregard for the safety of the public. The organisers permitted the crowd to gather without restriction, failed to provide adequate barricades, and positioned the campaign vehicle in a manner that provoked a dangerous surge.

The factum of deaths and injuries has been duly recorded on the file of Karur Town Police Station, where an FIR has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Section 106 (causing death by negligence).

These provisions clearly bring out the gravity of the criminal liability arising from the incident, he added.

He said the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India was sacrosanct and cannot be endangered by the unregulated conduct of political rallies.

While Article 19(1)(b) confers the right to assemble, the Constitution itself permits reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order, morality, and safety. The Karur incident was a stark reminder that the unregulated exercise of this right can have catastrophic consequences, resulting in loss of life and serious injuries, he submitted.

The State has a positive obligation to protect citizens from such dangers by enforcing adequate preventive measures and by refusing permissions for such rallies where there was a clear risk to life and public order.

He said permitting further rallies by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and its founder-leader Vijay, at a time when the Karur tragedy remains under investigation, would amount to placing countless other lives at peril. The public confidence in the State and its machinery would be shaken if, despite the deaths of 40 innocent people, no effective steps were taken to prevent recurrence.

The principle that “justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done” was of utmost relevance here, and unless preventive directions were issued by this Court, the constitutional promise of protection of life under Article 21 will stand betrayed, he added.

He said the ex-gratia announced by the government (Rs 10 lakh) and the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry under Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, though steps in the right direction, were not sufficient to address the recurring danger.

Unless strict directions were issued to forbear the DGP from granting permissions for further political rallies by the same party and leader until accountability was fixed and adequate safety mechanisms were enforced, another tragedy of equal or greater magnitude may occur, he added.

Though a mention was made by senior counsel G Sankaran, appearing for the petitioner before Justice N Senthil Kumar, to take up the petition for early hearing on Sunday evening, it was not done so since it was not numbered.

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