TVK's Negligence, Vijay's Delay & Unruly Cadres Led To Karur Stampede : Tamil Nadu Govt Tells Supreme Court

The Tamil Nadu Government, in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, has attributed the Karur stampede tragedy to a series of “reckless, negligent and uncoordinated actions” by the organisers and cadres of the TVK party, led by actor-politician Vijay. The State maintained that the police acted with “exemplary courage and discipline”, and that the tragedy was caused not by any policing lapse but by the conduct of the organisers and the behaviour of the crowd.

The affidavit was filed by the Additional Home Secretary in response to the petitions seeking a CBI/SIT investigation into the incident. On October 13, the bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi had passed an interim order directing the CBI to investigate the matter.

Police Acted With Heroic Discipline, Says State

According to the affidavit, despite darkness, heavy crowds and panic, police personnel repeatedly guided people towards exit routes and cleared paths for emergency response. Vijay himself, the State notes, publicly acknowledged from the top of his caravan that he could reach the venue “only because of the police” and thanked officers for their efforts. The State describes this as a “clear admission” of the disciplined and dedicated role of the police.

During the rescue phase, the Deputy Superintendent of Police requisitioned more ambulances, fire services and medical teams, who executed coordinated evacuations. Injured persons were shifted without delay, the affidavit states.

Organisers' Non-Compliance and Provocation Blamed

The government asserted that the TVK organisers grossly failed to comply with police instructions and safety undertakings. Despite provocations and defiance, the programme remained under police control, and Vijay departed safely only because officers brought the situation under control.

The State insisted that the “direct cause” of the stampede was the organisers' disregard for public safety, combined with their failure to manage the crowd.

During the hearings, some of the petitioners had alleged that the stampede was orchestrated by rival political parties by throwing footwear into the crowd.

Crowd Far Exceeding Declared Numbers

The organisers had informed authorities that 10,000 attendees were expected from Karur district alone. However, the preliminary investigation revealed that more than 28,000 people attended the event, with video evidence showing large numbers travelling from neighbouring districts.

CCTV clips showed over 3,000 cadres following Vijay's convoy from Namakkal district into Karur. Among the deceased, 10 were from other districts; among the 142 injured, 12 came from outside Karur. Social media posts encouraging statewide mobilisation further confirmed the massive cross-district movement that violated the organisers' undertaking.

Delays by TVK Leader Escalated Tension

According to the State, Vijay arrived at the venue seven hours late, contrary to announcements on social media and television urging people to assemble by noon. The affidavit stated that similar delays occurred during his meetings in Trichy, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvur and Namakkal.

These delays, the State claims, “emotionally charged the crowd” and created an unsafe environment, amplifying the surge pressure. According to the State, the delay was intentional to attract more crowd.

The slow movement of Vijay's caravan, combined with large crowds waiting along the route, increased anxiety and caused people to surge forward. Police attempts to hold the crowd back failed as thousands followed the vehicle towards the venue.

The affidavit narrated that the caravan entered a densely packed crowd after organisers ignored repeated police warnings to stop near a hospital and begin the speech earlier. This movement destabilised the crowd and displaced large volumes of people.

The crowd had waited for around seven hours in 35-degree heat. The State says the TVK organisers failed to provide drinking water, toilet facilities or food, contributing to dehydration among vulnerable groups including women and children.

High-Risk Behaviour Among Cadres

The affidavit alleges several unsafe actions by TVK cadres. It is said that many of the cadres were in an inebriated situation and some of them indulged in high-risk behaviour such as  climbing trees, rooftops, transformers and electrical poles. Some of them forcibly entered a generator room, which forced the operator to cut off the power supply to prevent electrocution. This created darkness in the region due to power cut.

One viral video captured two TVK cadres on motorcycles colliding and almost falling under the wheels of Vijay's convoy.

It is alleged that some cadres assaulted the ambulance drivers and attacked ambulances, which impeded the rescue operations.

The State says earlier venues, Manohara Corner, MGR Statue, Lighthouse Roundana and the New Bus Stand,were rejected for reasons including narrow roads, proximity to a petrol bunk, heavy public movement, absence of emergency access routes and the inability of the TVK leader's long caravan to navigate interior roads. Permission was eventually granted for Velusamy­puram, which had successfully hosted an AIADMK meeting of 15,000 persons just days earlier.

According to the affidavit, TVK initially declared an attendance of 10,000 persons, with 2,500 from each Assembly constituency. However, police assessments based on social media inputs and previous TVK events suggested a likely turnout of 15,000–20,000, prompting deployment of 606 police and Home Guard personnel and an 80-km bandobust stretch covering district borders.

Drone-based presentations and joint inspections were conducted to ensure safety compliance, including parking, ambulance access, emergency exits and hospital linkage. Yet, the State claims TVK failed to adhere to parking plans and did not disclose cross-district mobilisation of cadres, which later contributed to overcrowding.

The Government states that despite robust police arrangements, the TVK organisers' actions “compromised public safety” and set the stage for the eventual tragedy.

Post-Mortem Conduct Transparent, Says State

The affidavit details that post-mortems for 39 deceased persons began at 1:45 am on September 28 and continued until 3:30 am for the first batch, with the last body handed over by 2 pm the same day. A 40-member team of doctors from multiple government medical colleges was deployed.

The State rejected arguments that post-mortems were rushed or completed in three hours, calling such claims “false and baseless”. During the hearing, the Court had asked the State how multiple autopsies were conducted in a single night.

The State informed that following the incident, the High Court directed constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). A detailed probe and multiple FIRs were initiated. Only after the Supreme Court's interim order of October 13 was the investigation formally transferred to the CBI.

In the affidavit, the State also urged the Supreme Court to vacate its interim order which transferred the investigation to the CBI.