A year after Karura’s run at the TVK rally, scars remain and justice is still elusive

The place in Velusamypuram, Karur where a stampede took place during Vijay’s election rally last year. | Photo credit: M. Moorthy

Velusamypuram, the epicenter of a mob stampede that killed 41 persons during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam rally addressed by its leader C. Joseph Vijay on 27 September 2025, has seemingly returned to normalcy. A year has passed and it is business as usual for residents, traders and commuters in the area. But for the families of the victims and eyewitnesses, the scars from the tragedy that shook the nation’s conscience are still healing.

Karur Dash: What started the chaos

It was a Saturday night Karur will never forget. A huge crowd gathered on both sides of the highway to hear Mr. Vijay (now the Chief Minister) on the Karur-Erode highway. The crowd, police later estimated, was several times larger than the expected turnout. What started as a show of strength ended in utter chaos, with the stampede claiming 41 precious lives, including women and children, and many injured. It turned out to be one of the deadliest political rally tragedies in the country.

A year later, the physical traces of the tragedy have faded, but not the trauma. “I am trying to forget the horrifying scenes that took place after the police lathi-charged a section of the crowd. But it still haunts me,” recalls R. Harish of Vadivel Nagar in Velusamypuram, an eyewitness. “People were gasping for breath, falling over each other. We did our best to pull out as many as possible,” he adds.

Thirty-five-year-old P. Selvarani of KA Nagar in Velusamypuram on the outskirts of Karur is still struggling to cope with the excruciating loss of her two young daughters – Kokily (8) and Palaniammal (11). She never imagined that she would have to make a wreath of their portraits.

For her and the families of the other deceased and survivors, the wait for justice has been excruciating. More than 11 months have passed since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation from the Tamil Nadu government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) as directed by the Supreme Court. The CBI, which re-registered the case and formed a dedicated team, has since questioned TVK organizers, policemen and staff on bandobus duty, survivors, ambulance drivers, GPs and hundreds of eyewitnesses. He also collected video footage and examined detailed call logs. However, no charges have yet been filed and no arrests have been made, leaving the families nervous.

“No money will be returned to our loved ones. We want to know why this happened and who is responsible. We will be at peace when the culprits are punished,” says C. Perumal (53), father of Kokila and Palaniammal.

B. Anandajothi of Viswanathapuri in Karur, who lost his two daughters, Sai Jeeva (4) and Sai Lakshana (9), supports him and says, “We have told the investigating officers everything. Justice delayed is justice denied. But we have not lost hope in the CBI. We are eagerly waiting for justice.”

Opinions on the circumstances and reasons that led to the tragedy remain deeply divided. The police attributed it to a combination of factors – poor crowd management, inordinate delay in the leader’s arrival, narrow entry and exit points at Velusamypuram and the sudden surge of crowds from all sides when Mr. Vijay arrived. The TVK, despite suspecting a conspiracy, held the then DMK government responsible, claiming that the police failed to provide adequate security and denied them permission for a larger plot of land in Karur.

For ordinary people, many questions remain unanswered. Why was a permit issued for a section of highway with limited capacity? Why were there no proper barricades and emergency evacuation routes? Could those 41 lives have been saved if ambulances had better access?

The political scene has changed dramatically since then. Mr. Vijay, who led his party to a landslide victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, visited Karur on July 10 as Chief Minister. He also announced that a memorial would be erected.

As Karur prepares to pay tribute to the stampede victims on their first death anniversary on Sunday (September 26, 2026), the memorial is yet to come. Only painful memories will remain. For the families, the anniversary is not only about remembrance, but also about a renewed plea that justice not be delayed any longer.

Published – 27 Sep 2026 05:30 IST