The Madras High Court is set to urgently hear a petition this Sunday (September 28, 2025) at 4:30 p.m. The plea aims to prevent the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) from approving any further public meetings, rallies, or gatherings organized by actor C. Joseph Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). This urgent intervention comes after a tragic stampede at a TVK rally in Karur on Saturday (September 27), which resulted in the deaths of 39 individuals.
Justice N. Senthilkumar, presiding as the Dussehra vacation judge for criminal cases, agreed to take up the petition. Filed by N. Senthilkannan from Karur district, the petition requests to be included as a respondent in a separate, ongoing case initiated by the TVK. Mr. Senthilkannan emphasized that the party should not be permitted to hold any more public gatherings until a thorough inquiry into the stampede is finalized and effective safety measures are firmly established.
The original report included a photo gallery titled ‘In Pictures: Stampede at Vijay’s TVK rally in Karur,’ showcasing the chaotic aftermath of the event. Images depicted emergency personnel rushing injured individuals to Karur General Hospital, chappals strewn across the ground, and actor Vijay observing an ambulance navigating through the crowds. Further photos captured anxious relatives outside the hospital, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and other political leaders visiting the injured, and various views of the campaign venue where the tragedy occurred. The images highlighted the severe crowd mismanagement, with supporters waiting for hours under the scorching sun, leading to the dangerous surge when the actor finally arrived.
The TVK had previously approached the High Court to challenge what it considered ‘onerous’ conditions imposed by the Tamil Nadu police for its statewide campaign. During the earlier hearing of this case, Justice N. Sathish Kumar had sternly noted the extensive damage caused to both public and private property during political gatherings.
On September 18, Justice Kumar stressed the importance of the State implementing a system to collect security deposits from all political parties intending to hold public events. This fund, he suggested, would then be used to compensate for any losses incurred to public or private property due to actions by party members. He called for detailed guidelines to be drafted for this purpose.
However, on September 24, an Assistant Inspector General of Police from the DGP’s office submitted an affidavit arguing that no existing legal provisions allowed for the collection of such security deposits to cover property damage. Expressing his displeasure, Justice Kumar suo motu (on his own motion) included the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary as parties to the case, directing them to formulate a policy decision on the matter by October 16.
It is within this broader context that Mr. Senthilkannan’s impleading petition was filed and accepted for urgent hearing by Justice N. Senthilkumar, who is handling criminal matters during the Dussehra vacation period (September 27 to October 5, 2025).
Separately, TVK advocate S. Arivazhagan also sought an urgent hearing from Justice M. Dhandapani, the vacation judge for the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The TVK requested that a Division Bench hear its plea to prevent any ‘coercive action’ against the party.
Justices Dhandapani and M. Jothiraman subsequently agreed to hear this case on Monday afternoon (September 29).