Karur stampede: 4 TVK leaders booked in attempt to murder case
Karur Town Police have charged the accused, including TVK leaders Bussy Anand and CT Nirmal Kumar, with attempted murder and damage to public property
Even as actor-politician Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) face backlash over the death of 39 people in a stampede at the party’s rally in Karur on Saturday (September 27), Karur Town police have registered a case against four prominent TVK functionaries, including controversial activist Bussy Anand and CT Nirmal Kumar, charging them with attempted murder and public property damage.
Also read | Why Karur stampede is the deadliest political rally tragedy in TN’s history
Notably, Vijay has not been named in the FIR, even though police have attributed his delay in arriving at the venue to have led to a crowd surge, resulting in the stampede.
‘Accused defied police orders’
The case pertains to a clash that occurred at the rally’s venue. The accused persons have been charged with defying police orders and orchestrating an attack, endangering lives.
Sources privy to the investigation revealed that the group allegedly pelted stones at opposing protesters, damaged public vehicles, and ignored repeated warnings from police to disperse, leading to injuries among bystanders and damage to government property estimated at over ₹2 lakh.
Filed under Sections 105, 110, 125(b), and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Public Damage to Life and Property (TNPPDL) Act, the FIR accuses the accused of non-culpable homicide, attempt to commit culpable homicide, endangering human life through rash or negligent acts, and disobedience to a public servant's orders.
Who has been booked?
The key accused include Madhiyazhagan, district secretary of TVK's Karur West unit, accused of leading a mob and inciting violence; Bussy Anand, general secretary of TVK – the firebrand leader who organised the crowd; and CT Nirmal Kumar, TVK’s joint general secretary, who assisted Anand in mobilisation efforts.
Two other unidentified individuals, believed to be associates in the rally's organisational committee, have also been named in the FIR.
What are the charges?
BNS Section 105: Imposes punishment for murder that does not amount to culpable homicide, carrying a potential life sentence or rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years.
BNS Section 110: Covers attempts to commit culpable homicide, with penalties including up to 10 years' imprisonment and fines.
BNS Section 125(b): Targets acts that endanger human life through rash or negligent conduct, punishable by up to five years in jail.
BNS Section 223: Criminalises wilful disobedience to a public servant's lawful orders, with up to one month's simple imprisonment or a fine.
TNPPDL Act Section 3: Specifically addresses damage to public property during unlawful assemblies, allowing for stringent penalties, including attachment of assets.
Deadly stampede
Authorities have identified all 39 victims—mostly women and children—and handed their bodies over to families following postmortems at the government hospital. The disaster unfolded amid scorching heat and overcrowding at the Karur event, and was allegedly exacerbated by Vijay's delayed arrival, which caused the massive crowd to surge desperately for water and space.
Also read | Stampede at Vijay's Karur rally: All you need to know
The incident has ignited fresh debates on political vigilantism in Tamil Nadu, with Opposition parties demanding a thorough probe and the DMK dismissing the charges as "politically motivated."