Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor Vijay’s residence in Chennai came under a security sweep on Sunday, after he received a bomb threat. The incident came less than 24 hours after a deadly stampede at his political rally in Karur left 40 people dead and over 60 injured.
Sniffer dogs and a bomb disposal squad were deployed at his Neelankarai residence, while local police reinforced the existing security cordon with at least 15 additional personnel from the area station. A probe into the threat call is underway.
Earlier in the day, TVK’s legal wing moved the Madras High Court seeking an independent investigation into the Karur stampede. Advocates led by S Arivazhagan, president of TVK’s advocates’ wing, made a mention before Justice M Dhandapani, urging that the matter be referred either to the CBI or to a Special Investigation Team.
Alternatively, they requested the court to take up suo motu proceedings given the scale of the tragedy. According to TVK functionary Nirmal Kumar, Justice Dhandapani advised the team to formally file a petition before the Madurai Bench. The matter has been listed for hearing on Monday at 2.15 pm.
The party has also lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, alleging conspiracy behind the incident.
STAMPEDE VICTIM MOVES COURT AGAINST TVK RALLIES
Adding to the legal developments, a victim of the Karur rally stampede, Senthilkannan, approached the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the state police from granting permission for any further rallies by Vijay and TVK until accountability is fixed and safety protocols are ensured.
In his plea, the petitioner alleged that the tragedy was the outcome of reckless planning, gross mismanagement, and lack of crowd control measures. He pointed out that the Karur Town Police has already registered an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence.
He argued that while the right to assemble is protected under the Constitution, it must be balanced with the public’s right to safety under Article 21. Allowing TVK rallies before a full inquiry, he said, would put lives at risk and erode public confidence in the state’s ability to prevent recurrence.
TVK leaders, however, maintain that only a court-monitored or CBI-led probe can ensure impartiality. Monday’s hearing at the Madurai Bench is expected to decide the way forward.
GOVERNMENT CAUTION, VIJAY IN SHOCK
Sources said the Tamil Nadu government advised Vijay and his senior leadership to stay away from Karur Government Hospital on Sunday, fearing that their presence could worsen the tense situation and create further crowding. Vijay and other leaders had intended to visit the injured but dropped the plan following this request.
Party sources said the actor-politician is “in deep shock” and has not eaten since the tragedy. He is expected to meet families of the victims after Monday’s court hearing and only after obtaining permission from authorities.
NO POWER CUT AT RALLY: TN GOVT
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu government has claimed that there was no power cut at the venue, contrary to TVK’s claims that power supply was cut off when Vijay reached the rally venue.
The Tamil Nadu government’s Fact Check Unit on Monday said in a post on X: “There was no power cut at the event. Although the TVK party had requested a power supply interruption, no such power cut occurred. The brief dimming of a few lights was solely due to a generator issue in the party’s arrangements.” The district collector and the ADGP also issued similar clarifications.
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