India police file case against actor-politician Vijay’s party after stampede kills 39
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A badge with a picture of actor-turned-politician Vijay lying amid belongings left by attendees at the site of a deadly stampede in Tamil Nadu in September.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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CHENNAI, India – The police in India filed a criminal case against leaders of Tamil actor Vijay’s political party after a stampede at his rally killed at least 39 people, a senior police official said on Sept 28.
The dead included children, and more than 50 people were injured in the stampede on Sept 27
The Tamil Nadu police filed the case, the first step toward potential charges, “against TVK party senior leaders Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar and V.P. Mathiyalagan, and the investigation is under way”, senior police official V. Selvaraj told Reuters.
“TVK originally sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people, but the actual crowd was more than double,” he said.
Mr Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, known professionally as Vijay, is one of Tamil cinema’s most bankable actors for three decades, and has drawn massive crowds since launching his party in 2024. He said he was “heartbroken” by the stampede in the Karur district, pledging support for the victims’ families.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced compensation of 1 million rupees (S$14,700) per family.
The state has appointed a commission led by a retired judge to investigate the cause of the stampede.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that the incident was “deeply saddening”.
Footage from the local media showed that during the rally, thousands of people surrounded a large campaign vehicle. Mr Vijay was speaking from the top of it. He was seen throwing water bottles to fainting supporters and calling for police help when the crowd became uncontrollable.
Mr Vijay’s TVK has targeted the state’s ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Mr Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. REUTERS
