Madras HC to hear plea on Sunday against TVK rallies after Karur stampede

The Madras High Court has agreed to hear an urgent petition seeking to restrain the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police from granting any fresh permission for TVK for any kind of public meetings, rallies and gatherings by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) till the probe into the stampede during his rally in Karur, which led to 40 deaths, is complete. The High Court will hear the plea at 4.30 pm on Sunday (September 28).

Petitioner seeks to become a respondent

The plea has been filed by N. Senthilkannan of Karur district, who has urged the High Court to implead him as one of the respondents in a pending case filed by TVK and issue related directions to the Tamil Nadu DGP.

The petitioner urged the High Court that the TVK should not be granted any permission for any kind of public gathering till clear guidelines and safety protocols are laid down following completion of the inquiry.

Also Read: Karur stampede: TVK cries sabotage, moves Madras HC seeking fair probe

TVK’s petition against TN police

Earlier, the TVK had approached the High Court, accusing the Tamil Nadu Police of imposing “onerous” conditions for its campaign across the state. Justice N. Sathish Kumar, during the hearing on September 18, took note of the damage to public and private property being caused during public gatherings held by political parties.

The judge emphasised the need for the State government to collect security deposits from all political parties whenever they seek to conduct public meetings or other events, so that the deposit could be used to compensate for the damage to public and private properties by cadres of the concerned parties. He also asked that guidelines be formed in this regard.

Also Read: TVK rally tragedy: Power outage, 'sabotage' or sheer 'irresponsibility'?

‘No legal provision for collecting security deposit’

However, an Assistant Inspector General of Police serving in the office of the DGP, in an affidavit filed on September 24, told the High Court that there were no such legal provisions to collect security deposits for compensating damage to public or private property.

Expressing displeasure, Justice N. Sathish Kumar suo motu impleaded the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary as parties to the case for taking a policy decision by October 16. The latest impleading petition has been filed with regard to this petition.

Also Read: Why Karur stampede is the deadliest political rally tragedy in TN’s history

TVK approaches Madras HC

Meanwhile, the TVK on Sunday made a mention before Justice M Dhandapani of the Madras High Court to order a CBI or Special Investigation Team probe into the tragic death of 40 people during a stampede at a rally held by the party on September 27 in Karur.

A group of advocates led by TVK's advocates' wing president S Arivazhagan, went to the residence of Justice M Dhandapani on Greenways Road here and made a mention. In the alternative, they requested the court to initiate suo motu proceedings into the incident.

(With agency inputs)