Karur stampede: Madras HC forms SIT, denies pre-arrest bail to TVK leaders

The Madras High Court HC on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team SIT to probe the September 27 stampede at a political rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam TVK founder Vijay news agency PTI reportedThe tragic incident left 41 people dead and over 60 injuredThe court also rejected the anticipatory bail petitions of two senior TVK leaders and criticised both the party and the police over the mishap A Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leaderrsquos plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation CBI probe into the incident was also dismissed with the bench directing her to approach the Madurai court instead PTI reportedChief Minister MK Stalin and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK launched political attacks blaming the BJP and TVK respectively While Stalin accused the BJP of attempting to exploit the tragedy for political gains the DMK slammed Vijay for his ldquoarrogance hunger for money publicity mania and the desire for chairrdquo The party said his challenge to the state government to arrest him was an attempt to divert attention from the deaths of 41 peopleThe SIT has been formed under senior Indian Police Service IPS officer and Inspector General North Zone Asra Garg PTI reportedThe HC also held the TVK event organisers the party leadership and police responsible for lapses that contributed to the stampede which claimed the lives of several childrenThe anticipatory bail pleas of TVK state General Secretary Bussy N Anand and Deputy General Secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar were dismissed Both have been named in the first information report FIR along with a local party leader who has since been arrested They face charges under sections 105 culpable homicide not amounting to murder 110 attempt to commit culpable homicide 125 endangering life of others and 223 disobedience to order of the Indian Penal CodeThe court also rejected the anticipatory bail petition of TVK Namakkal district secretary Sathish Kumar linked to an attack on a private hospital during Vijayrsquos public meeting in NamakkalMeanwhile Stalin alleged that the BJP and the Union government ldquoshow no genuine concernrdquo over the stampede and are attempting to ldquocapitaliserdquo ahead of the 2026 Assembly ElectionsldquoWhy was a delegation of NDA MPs sent to Karur urgently while no teams were dispatched for Manipur riots Morbi bridge collapse or Kumbh Mela stampederdquo he questionedThe DMK also targeted Vijay Its party organ Murasoli said ldquoVijayrsquos arrogance responsible for the deaths of 41 persons and his hunger for money publicity mania and desire for chair has not subsided yetrdquo It claimed that his Rs 20 lakh solatium announcement for victimsrsquo families was prompted by pressure adding ldquoBy mounting a challenge to arrest him he is trying to divert the issue of the deaths of 41 personsrdquoThe government has already disbursed solatium to the victimsrsquo families while the DMK criticised TVK leaders for arriving late to designated campaign spots leaving supporters exhaustedWith PTI inputs