A 60-year-old woman, identified as Suguna, succumbed to the injuries at Karur Government Medical College and Hospital where she was undergoing treatment, reported The Hindu.
39 people had died after a stampede occurred at Vijay’s TVK rally on Saturday, September 27. The death toll had increased to 40 on Sept 28 during the day as a person was reported to have succumbed to the injuries.
Tamil Nadu Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar, earlier, had said that 39 deaths have been reported, including 17 women, 13 men, four male children, and five female children in the incident, as per news agency PTI. About 60 other individuals are reported injured.
Madras High Court to hear TVK’s pleaÂ
The TVK party approached the Madras High Court on Sept 28 seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging a conspiracy and stone-pelting at the rally.
Read more: Karur stampede tragedy: Police files case against Vijay’s TVK as toll rises to 40
TVK advocates’ wing president S Arivazhagan said on Sept 28, “The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor C. Joseph Vijay has approached the Madras High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the tragic stampede at Karur that claimed nearly 40 lives yesterday,” as per news agency ANI.
Advocate Arivazhagan, appearing for TVK, made a mention before Justice M Dhandapani, urging the court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident and ensure an impartial investigation.
The plea stressed that only an independent agency could uncover the lapses that led to the large-scale loss of life during the party’s public meeting, as per ANI.
The judge directed the advocates to file a detailed petition before the Madurai Bench of the High Court. The matter is expected to be taken up for hearing on the afternoon of Monday, Sept 29.
Victim moves HC against TVKÂ
A man injured during the rally also moved to the Madras High Court with a plea seeking refrain on political gatherings by Vijay and TVK, until the stampede case is completely investigated, responsibility fixed, and efficient safety protocols are ensured.
The victim sought a direction for the Tamil Nadu DGP to stop him from granting permission for rallies, as per PTI.
Read more: Karur stampede: Vijay to give ₹20 lakh compensation to each family of 39 dead victims at TVK rally
The petitioner stated that though the ex-gratia announced by the government (₹10 lakh) and the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry under Justice Aruna Jagadeesan were steps in the right direction, but these were not enough to address the recurring danger.
Justice Aruna Commission for probe
Retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, who has been appointed by the state government for a detailed inquiry into the Karur rally stampede, continued her probe for the second day at the site of the accident.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also visited the incident site and later went to the hospital to meet with the victims and families.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to inquire about the incident. He also called TVK’s Vijay to convey his condolences.
Stalin thanked Gandhi for calling, and asking about the treatment to injured. “Thank you, my dear brother Thiru RahulGandhi, for reaching out to me over phone, conveying your heartfelt concern over the tragic incident in Karur, and sincerely enquiring about the measures taken to save the precious lives of those under treatment,” he wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
