Indian police have registered a criminal case against senior leaders of Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), after a stampede at his rally left 39 people dead and over 50 injured in Tamil Nadu.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday in Karur district, where Vijay was campaigning ahead of next year’s state elections. Victims included several children.
According to senior police official V. Selvaraj, TVK had official permission for a crowd of 10,000, but attendance exceeded double that figure, triggering chaos. Cases have been filed against senior TVK leaders Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and V.P. Mathiyalagan, with investigations underway.
Vijay, one of Tamil cinema’s most popular stars for over three decades, said he was “heartbroken” and pledged support for affected families. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced compensation of 1 million rupees ($11,300) per victim’s family, while the state appointed a retired judge to lead a commission of inquiry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply saddening” in a post on X.
Footage from the rally showed Vijay addressing a massive crowd from atop a campaign vehicle. As the crowd pressed forward, the actor-politician was seen throwing water bottles to fainting supporters and urgently appealing for police assistance.
Vijay’s fledgling party, TVK, has recently positioned itself as a challenger to both the ruling DMK and Prime Minister Modi’s BJP, drawing massive turnouts since its launch last year.
