A tragic stampede broke out on Saturday during a rally addressed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu, resulting in 39 deaths and 95 injuries. In response, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the formation of a one-member Commission of Inquiry, led by retired High Court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a detailed report on the incident.
CM Stalin, on late Saturday night, visited the Government Medical College and Hospital and met those injured and paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the incident.
Who Is Justice Aruna Jagadeesan?
Justice Aruna Jagadeesan is a retired judge of the Madras High Court and served as a puisne judge at the HC from 2009 to 2015, when she retired. Notably, she has also headed several commissions of Inquiry in the state.
Justice Aruna Jagadeesan previously served as the chairperson of the commission that investigated the 2018 Thoothukudi incident, where 13 people were killed in police firing during the anti-Sterlite protests. Furthermore, she was part of a bench that, according to an NDTV report, gave a clean chit to the Chennai Police in the alleged 2015 fake encounter in Velachery, where five people who were suspected of a bank robbery were shot dead.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Stampede: Police Book TVK Karur Secretary After 39 Die In Tragedy
Tamil Nadu Stampede
Director General of Police (DGP) in charge of Tamil Nadu, G Venkatraman, noted that earlier rallies of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam TVK had “smaller crowds”, but this time the turnout was “far higher” than expected.
DGP Venkatraman stated that the “reality” is that the crowd had already been “waiting for hours without sufficient food and water”, as Vijay arrived a few hours late at the venue.
“The permission for the meeting was given from 3 pm to 10 pm, but crowds started assembling as early as 11 am. By the time Vijay arrived at 7:40 pm., the crowd had already been waiting for hours without sufficient food and water. That is the reality. Vijay himself appreciated the police for their role but stressed that party cadres must take responsibility for crowd management. It does not mean the police should deploy numbers equal to the entire crowd of 27,000. The reasons behind the tragic incident will be revealed only after the inquiry. A one-person commission has already been established. Until then, I cannot comment further on it,” DGP told reporters.
He also said that police personnel were deployed in large numbers at the venue where Vijay was scheduled to address.
“This is a deeply tragic incident. So far, 38 people have died: 12 men, 16 women, and 10 children (five boys and five girls). Following the incident, we reviewed the steps that the police should take…Earlier rallies of TVK had smaller crowds, but this time the turnout was far higher than expected. Though organisers had requested a large ground in Karur, anticipating about 10,000 people, nearly 27,000 gathered. At the campaign venue where Vijay was to address the public, 500-plus police personnel were on duty.”
Aide In Tamil Nadu Stampede
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each to the families of the victims. In addition, he also announced aid of Rs. 1 lakh each to those undergoing medical treatment in hospitals.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the families of the 39 people who died in the Karur stampede would receive two lakh rupees each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. He also announced an amount of Rs. 50,000 each for the people injured in the tragic incident.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician and TVK leader Vijay on Sunday announced that he will provide financial assistance of Rs. 20 lakh to the bereaved families and Rs. 2 lakh to the injured in the unfortunate stampede.
(with ANI inputs)