Police Charge Three Aides of Indian Politician Vijay After Stampede Kills 40

Kokcha News Agency – Police in Tamil Nadu, India, have charged three senior members of actor-politician Vijay’s party with culpable homicide and negligent conduct after a stampede at his rally on Saturday left 40 dead and dozens injured.

The accused, identified as Bussy Anand, G.R. Nirmal Kumar, and V.P. Mathiyazhagan, are being investigated for their role in the incident, which occurred when a crowd of around 27,000—far exceeding the expected 10,000—gathered to see Vijay in Karur district.

Witnesses cited poor organization, insufficient police presence, and delays as key factors that led to the tragedy. Some reported that panic spread after supporters who had climbed a tree fell onto the crowd below. Vijay, who arrived hours later than scheduled, was seen tossing water bottles to supporters before the chaos erupted.

In a statement, Vijay expressed his grief, calling the incident an “irreparable loss” and promising compensation of 2 million rupees ($22,000) to each victim’s family.

Senior police officer S. Davidson Devasirvatham confirmed that a case had been registered, and the investigation would reveal all those involved. State police chief G. Venkataraman noted that the crowd had been waiting for hours in the hot sun without adequate food or water, contributing to the unrest.

This is the latest in a series of deadly crowd incidents in India, where lax safety measures at mass gatherings have often been blamed for such tragedies.