Exclusive: They lost loved ones in Vijay rally stampede. Now two Dalit families say they were kept in dark about Supreme Court petitions filed in their name

“I have been going through deep pain; I don’t know what to say,” P Selvaraj, a 50-year-old tractor driver and farm labourer from Emur Puthur village near Karur, told The Indian Express. “I am illiterate. I don’t know anything about cases or the court. When I learned about a petition filed in my name in the Supreme Court without my knowledge, I was devastated. It is unfortunate that they used my name in such a manner.”

Selvaraj lost his wife, K Chandra, in the stampede. He earns Rs 600 a day when there is work – barely three days a week – and lives with his two sons. According to him, a local AIADMK leader approached him days after the tragedy, promising government compensation and a job for his elder son. “They said I had to sign a few papers, which I did. I did not know it was for a court case,” Selvaraj said. He said the men also took a copy of his Aadhaar card.

When the news broke that a petitioner named “P Selvaraj” had sought a CBI probe in the Supreme Court, Selvaraj said he was “clueless.” He does not know the lawyer who appeared in his name before the court.

The development comes against the backdrop of proceedings in the Supreme Court, where Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria on Friday questioned a Madras High Court order constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the stampede. The top court reserved its orders on petitions filed by actor Vijay’s political party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and others – including petitions purportedly filed by the two families – seeking either a CBI probe or an independent investigation.

Selvaraj’s petition states that “police officers did not even suffer minor injuries,” suggesting negligence. A senior advocate representing the other petitioner, named Panneerselvam, argued that “police investigations were compromised by official apathy and potential political interference”.

Like Selvaraj, Sharmila, the mother of a nine-year-old boy who died in the same tragedy, said she never authorised any such plea.

Sharmila, also from Emur Puthur village, said she first heard about the Supreme Court petition in her name when someone from the local police station asked her about it. Panneerselvam is her ex-husband, who abandoned the family when their son Prithvik was six months old, she claimed. “Two years later, he returned, but he left again,” she said.

She said she raised Prithvik alone, with a certificate from the government declaring her a single mother to secure school benefits. “My son knew who his father was, but he didn’t know his father,” she said.

Narrating her story to Tamil media, she said Panneerselvam “came for the funeral and left quickly without even talking to me or anyone”.\

On the day of the rally, Sharmila had travelled with her son and about 70 other villagers in mini-vans arranged by the TVK. “We were standing safely by the roadside from noon, waiting even after we heard that he was late,” she said. “The stampede happened moments before Vijay’s vehicle reached the spot. Many people fell on me, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, they said my child had been taken to the hospital.”

After searching in different hospitals, they found he was dead. There were no injuries, just mud and dirt on his body. He had died of suffocation.

Days later, Sharmila’s family said they received calls from TVK functionaries informing them that her ex-husband had allegedly demanded that the compensation be deposited in his account.

Panneerselvam’s petition before the Supreme Court accuses the Tamil Nadu government of “failing in its duty to ensure public safety” and claims that “police investigations were compromised by official apathy and potential political interference.” Panneerselvam, who works as a private bus driver and lives in Coimbatore, was not available for comments.

Both Selvaraj and Sharmila belong to Tamil Nadu’s most marginalised Dalit sub-caste, the Arundhathiyars. After their videos revealing the backstory of the petitions came out on social media and local channels, they started getting phone calls from many, including the TVK. Police personnel have been deployed for their safety now.

As the Supreme Court weighs whether the investigation should remain with the state SIT or move to the CBI, the victims’ families say they only want peace. “All I wanted,” Sharmila said, “was to see my son alive again. Now, I just want to be left out of this.”

Selvaraj said he was among those who received a video call from Vijay about 10 days after the stampede. A local TVK functionary from Karur said the leadership has been furious at them for these latest revelations.

AIADMK leader Balakrishnan was not available for comment. When contacted, TVK’s propaganda and policy general secretary, KG Arunraj, said they have approached the court separately in their party’s capacity. “With regard to the complaints of these two people, we are not party to it. Why should we do it? We do not know about these two petitioners,” he said.

Following the tragedy, the Madras High Court had ordered an SIT comprising Tamil Nadu police officers and sharply criticised TVK leaders for “fleeing the spot” instead of helping victims. TVK challenged the order in the Supreme Court, alleging bias, procedural lapses, and “natural justice violations,” saying Vijay was wrongly blamed and not heard. The party sought a CBI or SC-supervised probe, citing possible conspiracy and distrust in the state police.