The Madras High Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Tamil Nadu government, and the state’s Director General of Police on October 17, 2025, in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to name Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay as an accused in the September 27 Karur stampede that killed 41 people. Filed by Madurai-based advocate C Selvakumar, the PIL also demands a ban on involving women and children in political rallies and the establishment of standard operating procedures for such events, citing negligence and mismanagement by TVK organizers as the cause of the tragedy.

The bench, led by Chief Justice MM Srivastava and Justice G Arulmurugan, directed that the plea be consolidated with similar petitions for a special division hearing, aligning with Supreme Court directives following the Karur incident. The ECI clarified that TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, is not a recognized political party under the Representation of the People Act, rendering a separate plea for its derecognition moot. The petition accuses Karur Town Police of shielding Vijay by omitting his name from the FIR and applying milder charges, urging stricter sections like IPC 304A (causing death by negligence) and provisions of the Juvenile Justice and Child Labour Acts.

Selvakumar’s PIL alleges that Vijay’s delayed arrival, lack of basic amenities like food, water, and toilets, and violations of police instructions led to the stampede, which claimed nine children and several women among the 41 victims. It seeks Rs 1 crore compensation per deceased victim, to be recovered from TVK’s leadership, and a temporary ban on political rallies until the case is resolved. The petitioner references a 2014 Bombay High Court ruling to enforce the ECI’s prohibition on using minors in political events, pressing for mandatory compliance undertakings from recognized parties.

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The Karur stampede has sparked a fierce blame game, with police attributing the chaos to TVK’s organizational failures, while the party counters that police lapses and a “politically motivated conspiracy” by the ruling DMK are responsible—a charge the Tamil Nadu government denies. With two TVK district secretaries, including Mathiyazhagan, already arrested and a Supreme Court-ordered CBI probe underway, monitored by a retired judge, the Madras High Court’s actions signal intensifying scrutiny on Vijay’s political debut and the broader safety of political gatherings in the state.

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