Karur stampede: Police arrest TVK functionary Mathiyazhagan, YouTuber Felix Gerald

Karur (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 30 (HBTV): Karur City Police have arrested Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) Karur West District Secretary, Mathiyazhagan, in connection with the stampede during party chief Vijay's rally, which claimed 41 lives, ADGP Davidson Devasirvatham said.

Police also arrested Paun Raj, the Karur town functionary who arranged flagpoles and flex banners for the rally. According to the ADGP, Paun Raj was taken into custody for providing shelter to Mathiyazhagan.

Chennai Police confirmed that YouTuber and journalist Felix Gerald has also been arrested in connection with the incident.

The stampede occurred when a massive crowd at Vijay's rally in Karur turned chaotic, triggering panic. Several attendees fainted and were rushed to nearby hospitals. The death toll from the tragedy has risen to 41, including 18 women and 10 children.

Following the incident, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister L Murugan, and Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran met the families of the victims. An eight-member delegation of NDA leaders is also scheduled to visit Karur to assess the circumstances that led to the stampede.

The delegation was constituted by BJP chief JP Nadda and includes BJP MPs Anurag Thakur, Tejasvi Surya, Braj Lal, Aprajita Sarangi, Rekha Sharma, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, and Putta Mahesh Kumar from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). BJP MP Hema Malini has been appointed as the convenor of the committee. Nadda expressed condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin has set up a one-member commission headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the incident. While Nirmala Sitharaman called for a standard operating procedure to manage large gatherings, Stalin said political parties and organisations should frame rules to ensure such events are conducted responsibly.

(ANI)