Stampede

TN urges SC to scrap CBI probe into Karur stampede, backs SIT investigation

The Tamil Nadu government has urged the Supreme Court to lift its October 13 order directing a CBI probe into the Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed and permit an investigation by the SIT constituted by the Madras High Court. The local police and the Special Investigation Team are fully competent to conduct a "fair, thorough, and impartial investigation" and no exceptional circumstances exist to direct central agency intervention, the state government said in a reply filed before the apex court. The state government submitted that the October 13, 2025 interim order directing a CBI probe under the monitoring of three-member supervisory committee has "virtually allowed the writ petition" even before notice on maintainability could be decided. The stampede on September 27 during a rally of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay claimed 41 lives and left over 60 injured. According to the state government, the allegation of negligence or dereliction of duty on part of the Karur

TN govt holds all-party meet to draft safety norms for public events

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday held a meeting of political parties to formulate guidelines on holding public meetings in the wake of the September 27 stampede in Karur that claimed 41 lives and left over 60 injured. The consultative meeting was held following the Madras High Court directive asking the state government to frame the draft standard operating procedure (SOP) for regulating road shows and public meetings of political parties aimed at preventing the Karur stampede-like situation. The disastrous incident occurred during the meeting of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party addressed by its founder actor-politician Vijay. "We held a detailed consultation on various aspects, including avoiding stampede during meetings and preventing damage to public property," State Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said in a post on 'X.' According to a source, among the suggestions was to collect a deposit amount from the political parties depending on the size of the turnout,

Survivors blame poor management, narrow gate for Andhra temple tragedy

Survivors of the Venkateswara Swamy temple tragedy in Srikakulam district blamed the use of a singe narrow gate for both entry and exit and the lack of crowd management, which resulted in a stampede-like situation that killed nine people and injured several others on Saturday. At least nine devotees--eight women and a boy--were killed at the temple in Kasibugga town. Many sustained injuries or suffered breathlessness and were admitted to local hospitals. According to the survivors, chaos broke out when the only fate was abruptly opened, allowing those who had compeleted their darshan to come out, while another group waiting below tried to enter. This resulted in people falling on one another and a weak steel grill gave way, trapping many devotees underneath. The approach to the temple is narrow. There were many people and only single entry and exit point. As people jostled, we fell down. The steel grill was also very weak. The grill people were holding onto broke and everybody fell,

Three temple tragedies kill 22, injure nearly 100 across Andhra in 2025

As many as 22 people died and nearly 100 were injured in three major temple tragedies in Andhra Pradesh in 2025, with the Kasibugga temple mishap on Saturday being the latest. The Venkateswara temple disaster at Kasibugga town in Srikakulam district on Saturday claimed nine lives and injured over two dozen others, when a staircase railing collapsed, causing people to fall on one another in a packed crowd. Before this, seven people were killed in April when a rain-soaked wall collapsed at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Simhachalam near Visakhapatnam. Earlier in January, six devotees had died and nearly 40 injured during a stampede at Bairagi Patteda in Tirupati, where hundreds had gathered for tickets to the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple on Tirumala hills. In less than a week, Andhra Pradesh has been battered by a series of calamities, which included a bus inferno in Kurnool district that left 19 dead, at least Rs 5,244-crore loss ...

Nine dead in Andhra temple stampede; PM Modi announces ₹2 lakh ex-gratia

Rush of devotees during Ekadashi triggered the stampede at the Kasibugga temple in Srikakulam district; CM Naidu expressed condolences and ordered urgent medical care, other relief efforts

CBI takes over Karur stampede probe that killed 41 at actor Vijay's rally

The CBI has taken over the probe of the Karur stampede, in which 41 people were killed during a political rally of actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), officials said Sunday. A special team of the CBI has already visited the site at Velusamypuram in Karur, Tamil Nadu, they said. Forty-one people lost their lives and over 60 injured in the stampede that occurred at the TVK meeting addressed by Vijay on September 27. As per procedure, the CBI has re-registered the FIR of the state police and also informed the local court about the development, they said. The case was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for an independent probe. The apex court directed the director of CBI to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation and appoint some other officers for the assistance of the officer. The court also set up a three-member supervisory committee headed by former apex court judge Ajay Rastogi to

TVK transfers ₹20,00,000 aid to families of karur stampede victims

On October 15, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that a total compensation of Rs 4.87 crore has been issued to the families of victims in the stampede during TVK chief Vijay's rally in Karur

Karur stampede: TVK leaders released after court rejects custody extension

Last month, a local court in Karur in Tamil Nadu had sent two TVK functionaries to a 14-day judicial custody till October 14 in connection with the stampede

TN Assembly session begins with tribute to 41 victims of Karur stampede

The Tamil Nadu Assembly session commenced on Tuesday with the House passing a resolution to condole the tragic death of 41 persons during a stampede in Karur on September 27. Immediately after the House met, Speaker M Appavu read out a resolution and conveyed the heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families whose kin died during the stampede at a meeting of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam addressed by its founder actor-politician Vijay. He said Chief Minister M K Stalin directed the officials and medical professionals to provide good treatment to the injured and also rushed to the hospital and consoled the affected families. The Chief Minister announced solatium to the families of the victims and also the injured, Appavu said and urged the members to observe two minutes' silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls. Following this, the DMK, AIADMK, BJP, Congress, the VCK and other members stood up to pay their respects. The House made obituary references to former

Karur stampede: SC orders CBI probe, appoints 3-member monitoring committee

The Supreme Court bench appointed a three-member panel led by retired judge Ajay Rastogi to supervise the CBI probe into the stampede that claimed 41 lives

SC questions Madras HC over formation of SIT to probe Karur stampede

The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Madras High Court for constituting a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed. A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria wondered how the high court proceeded with the matter. "We are unable to understand how this order was passed? How did the single bench in the Chennai Bench proceed with the matter when the division bench in Madurai was considering the matter? "In my experience of over 15 years as a judge, a single bench holds back if the division bench has taken cognisance," Justice Maheshwari observed. At the outset, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for Tamil actor Vijay's political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, submitted that the petition before the high court was filed only to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) for political rallies. He said the SIT was constituted by the high court on the first day itself and the court made adverse remarks aga

TVK chief Vijay gets hoax bomb threat call weeks after Karur stampede

An investigation was launched by the Chennai police, who are also tracing the caller's location. Additionally, security at Vijay's house in Neelangarai has been tightened

DMK's Senthil Balaji hands over cheques to those injured in Karur stampede

DMK leader Senthil Balaji, who represents the Karur constituency, on Wednesday handed over the cheques from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to families of 45 people who were injured in the stampede during a TVK rally here on September 27. As many as 41 people lost their lives in a stampede at actor-politician and TVK chief Vijay's public rally in Karur on September 27. The Tamil Nadu government had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the victims and Rs 1 lakh each for the injured. According to an official source, cheques ranging between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh depending on the severity of the injuries were given. Those requiring one-day hospitalisation were awarded Rs 50,000 and those requiring hospitalisation of more than two days were awarded Rs 1 lakh in compensation, added the official. Incidentally, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief, had also reached out to the families of the Karur stampede victims on October 6 through WhatsApp video calls and assured

Vijay's TVK moves SC challenging HC order for SIT probe into Karur stampede

Tamil actor Vijay's political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court order constituting a SIT to probe the Karur stampede that killed 41 people. The apex court agreed to hear the plea on Friday. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of a lawyer that the plea, filed through TVK's secretary Aadhav Arjuna, be listed for hearing. On Tuesday, the bench agreed to hear on October 10 BJP leader Uma Anandan's plea challenging the high court order refusing a CBI probe into the September 27 stampede and seeking a CBI investigation. The CJI agreed to hear the instant plea on Friday along with the other petition. TVK has sought an independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, contending that a fair and impartial probe would not be possible if conducted solely by officers of the Tamil Nadu police. The stampede, which led to 41 deaths, injured more than 60

SC to hear plea seeking CBI probe into Karur stampede on October 10

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on October 10 a plea challenging a Madras High Court order refusing a CBI probe into the September 27 stampede at Karur during a political rally of actor and TVK founder Vijay that killed 41 persons and injured over 60. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the appeal of BJP leader Uma Anandan seeking a CBI probe into the stampede. A plea for CBI probe has been dismissed whereas a single judge has observed that he is not satisfied with the probe conducted (into the stampede)," a lawyer told the bench. "List (it) on Friday, the CJI said. On October 3, the Madras High Court formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the September 27 stampede at the political rally of actor-politician Vijay. The principal bench of the high court also dismissed a BJP leader's plea seeking a CBI probe into the incident, and directed her to approach the Madurai bench. The high court formed the SIT under s

Vijay accuses Stalin of 'revenge' after Karur stampede; TN govt counters

The September 27 Karur stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally escalated into a DMK vs TVK slugfest on Tuesday, with the top star taking on Chief Minister M K Stalin by accusing him of taking "revenge" on him and asserting that the "truth will come out", and the state government releasing videos on the sequence of events during the rally to allege violation of norms by his party. Shortly after Vijay issued a video statement, saying that the DMK government may do anything to him, but should not touch TVK party people, senior state officials held a press conference where they made a presentation on the sequence of events that unfolded in the western Tamil Nadu district before and during the stampede in which 41 people have died and over 60 were injured. Talking to reporters later, senior DMK leader and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi said the wails and tears of the affected persons were unending. The DMK government immediately stood with the people, she said, and faulted Vijay for leaving t

TVK district secretary arrested over Karur rally stampede that killed 41

Actor-politician Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's Karur West district secretary was arrested in connection with the stampede at the party president's rally, police said on Monday night. Karur West district secretary V P Mathyiyalagan was among the three TVK office bearers named in the FIR into the stampede that occurred on Saturday in which at least 41 people died and 60 were injured. TVK state general secretary Bussy Anand and party deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar are the other two party office bearers named in the FIR. Mathyiyalagan was picked up near the Karur-Dindigul border, an official said. The three TVK functionaries have been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (endangering life of others), and 223 (disobedience to order), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992, has also been levelled against them, a pol

Moody's retains India's rating, Karur stampede, India-Bhutan rail link, Trump-Netanyahu meet & more

Moody’s Ratings on Monday affirmed India’s sovereign rating at Baa3 with a ‘stable’ outlook, citing robust growth and a strong external position.

Karur stampede: What went wrong at actor, TVK chief Vijay’s rally that left 40 dead? Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu witnessed one of the deadliest political stampedes in the state’s history, over the weekend that killed over 40 people and injured hundreds.

Karur stampede: Nirmala Sitharaman, L Murgan visit injured at hospital

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday reached the site of the September 27 stampede in Karur in Tamil Nadu in which 41 people lost their lives.The Union Minister then visited the Government Medical College Hospital in Karur.Earlier today, she arrived at the Coimbatore International Airport before proceeding to the site of the stampede that took place during a public event of TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) chief and actor Vijay.Sitharaman was accompanied by Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan.Meanwhile, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court will hear later today a case filed by TVK in the stampede.The Tamil Nadu government has today appointed Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Premanandan as the new investigating officer to lead the probe into the stampede that occurred during the TVK president's rally.The death toll rose to 41 today, with two more victims succumbing to injuries, while 67 others continue to ...