Premium

With a promise to visit soon, Vijay video calls families of Karur stampede victims

The families were asked not to record the conversations that lasted a few minutes. The stampede during the actor-turned-politicians rally on September 27 had claimed 41 lives.

The move comes after days of criticism that Vijay fled Karur the night of the tragedy, which took place on September 27, and did not meet the grieving families in person.

Nearly 10 days after a stampede at his campaign rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur left 41 people dead, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and film star Vijay has reached out to the bereaved families through video calls.

The outreach began Monday evening, facilitated by a team from Chennai, headed by K G Arun Raj, the party’s general secretary for propaganda and policy, who joined TVK after resigning from his job in the Income Tax Department. According to party sources, at least eight families have so far been contacted, with all 27 affected families expected to receive calls. The families were asked not to record the conversations.

For many, the calls lasted only a few minutes. He promised the victims’ families that he would visit them soon.

The move comes after days of criticism that Vijay fled Karur the night of the tragedy, which took place on September 27, and did not meet the grieving families in person. While the Tamil Nadu government has announced a judicial inquiry and compensation, TVK has promised Rs 20 lakh to each victim’s family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.

Vijay first addressed the incident in a social media post hours after the tragedy. “My heart is shattered; I am writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow that words cannot express, ” he had said in the post.

The Madras High Court on Friday issued strong remarks about the incident, condemning what the judge called the party’s reckless conduct. “What action have you taken? You allowed this to happen, and now say only two have been arrested. Who is responsible? The leader, Vijay, disappeared – vanished – and there was no one left to help the people,” Justice N Senthilkumar had said. He also ordered the constitution of Special Investigation Team to probe the matter.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram