CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Police have stepped up the investigation into the Karur rally tragedy that killed 41 people, including women and children, by forming three special teams to arrest TVK state general secretary N. Anand, also known as Bussy Anand.
The move comes amid mounting pressure to hold top functionaries of the newly formed party accountable for the September 27 disaster.
The fatal incident occurred at Velusamypuram near Karur when thousands of supporters gathered for a campaign rally addressed by actor-turned-politician Vijay. A sudden surge and confusion in the tightly packed crowd triggered chaos, leading to a stampede that left 41 dead and over 60 injured.
Initial investigations pointed to inadequate crowd control measures and failure to manage the swelling turnout.
Police have already filed cases against key TVK leaders, including Anand, joint general secretary Nirmal Kumar, and Karur West district secretary Mathiyazhagan, citing culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other charges related to endangering public safety.
The Karur West district secretary, Mathiyazhagan, and South City treasurer Pounraj have been arrested and questioned.
A one-member judicial commission led by retired Madras High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan is probing the circumstances that led to the stampede, examining lapses in planning, security, and crowd management.