Karur stampede: Kin meet SC-panel head, blame Vijay

TIRUCHY: The Supreme Court-appointed committee, headed by the retired SC Judge Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the process of the CBI probe into the Karur stampede visited the incident spot at Velusamypuram on Wednesday and inspected the genset cabin which was said to be the origin of the stampede.

The committee arrived at Karur on Tuesday for a three-day visit to monitor the CBI probe into the September 27 tragedy that claimed 41 lives and left as many as 110 injured during a political meet of actor-turned politician Vijay.

The panel, which includes IPS officers Sonal Mishra and Sumit Saran, reached the PWD circuit house where the CBI has set up office and reviewed the investigation process from the office.

On Wednesday, the committee visited Velusamypuram. The CBI sleuths had briefed them about the makeshift genset cabin from where TVK cadres fell down and believed to have triggered the commotion. The panel also inspected the open drain in which many people fell, worsening the situation, and many bodies were reportedly retrieved from it.

Later, members of some of the families of the deceased appeared before the panel and gave their statements, in which they reportedly claimed that the delay of Vijay’s arrival to the spot was the main reason for the tragedy.

TVK’s Salem east district secretary Venkatesh also gave his statement before the panel.

On Tuesday, the Karur district collector M Thangavel, IGP K Joshi Nimal Kumar and Karur SP K Josh Thangaih, Karur town DSP M Selvaraj and Karur town inspector G Manivannan also appeared before the committee.

Earlier in the day, Justice Rastogi convened a review meeting with the CBI team, during which the officials elaborated on the crowd-movement videos, witness accounts, and surveillance footage.

The panel will stay in Karur till Thursday. The district collector appealed to the public to visit the panel and submit their statement.