Two senior leaders of the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), General Secretary N Anand (also known as Bussy Anand) and Joint General Secretary C T R Nirmalkumar, have approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

This legal move comes in the wake of a tragic stampede during a political rally in Karur on September 27, which resulted in 41 fatalities. The police have filed cases against the TVK leaders under multiple sections, including causing danger to human life and disobeying public orders. While Mathiyazhagan, the Karur West district secretary, was arrested on Monday, other individuals associated with the event are still being sought by the authorities.

In their petitions, Anand and Nirmalkumar have denied any wrongdoing, attributing the incident to alleged lapses by the police and administrative authorities in managing the crowd and ensuring safety measures. They contend that the authorities failed to provide adequate crowd control and did not allocate a safe venue for the rally. Anand stated that TVK leaders are being “targeted to cover up the government’s own failures,” and urged the court to protect them from arrest.

The petitions are scheduled to be heard on Friday. The state government has already formed a one-member inquiry commission, led by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, to probe the circumstances leading to the tragedy. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed deep grief over the incident, announced compensation for the victims’ families, and promised new safety guidelines for political and public gatherings once the commission submits its report. Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami has demanded a judicial inquiry and accused the DMK government of gross administrative failure. Meanwhile, actor-politician Vijay, who addressed the rally, visited the grieving families and pledged Rs 20 lakh each as relief to the bereaved.