The Madras High Court came down heavily on the actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay on Friday (3rd October) for “fleeing from the scene” after a stampede occurred during his political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on 27th September. “This Court strongly condemns the conduct of Mr Vijay, the organisers of the event and the members of the political party for fleeing from the scene of occurrence immediately after the mishaps, ” remarked a single bench of Justice N Senthilkumar.
“While this Court is aware that the political party has not been arrayed as a respondent, it is important to point out that it is incumbent upon such a party to have taken immediate steps to rescue and assist individuals caught in the stampede-like situation arising from the massive crowd in which many children, women, and several young person tragically lost their lives,” the court added.
The High Court called out the callousness displayed by the actor’s party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, after the stampede. “Regrettably, there has been no statement, no expression of responsibility from the political party viz., Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam regarding the occurrence, either in their official Twitter account or in other social media, regretting the stampede that has taken place. There is no communication in any form or in any manner regretting the incident. This omission reflects the political party’s disregard for human life and public accountability,” the High Court lashed out.
Hearing a petition seeking the introduction of a Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for road shows, the High Court expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation into the stampede so far. The Court also noted that the state government did not register an FIR regarding two accidents during the rally involving collisions with Vijay’s bus amid the stampede, and that the actor was not named in the FIR. “This Court expresses its deep anguish and concern over the failure of the authorities to take action. Even in the absence of a formal complaint from the aggrieved parties, it is the duty of the State to register a suo motu FIR and ensure that the accused face trial in accordance with law, ” the judge noted in the judgment.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be headed by Asra Garg, Inspector General of Police (North Zone) and will include as members Vimala (IPS), Superintendent of Police, Namakkal and Shyamaladevi, Superintendent of Police, CSCID.
A horrible stampede occurred on 27th September during the actor’s campaign rally, resulting in the death of 41 people, including women and children. Many people were injured during the stampede. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against the TVK functionaries, excluding the actor.
