Bomb threat at actor-politician Vijay’s Chennai residence

CHENNAI: Chennai Police received a phone call claiming that a bomb had been planted at the ECR, Neelankarai residence of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief and actor C Joseph Vijay, officials said.

Following the alert on Sunday, police personnel rushed to the spot, and a bomb disposal squad was deployed. Experts are currently carrying out thorough checks inside and outside the premises, sources said. Visuals showed heavy security outside Vijay’s residence.

Earlier, the death toll from the stampede at Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur has risen to 41, after a woman undergoing treatment at a hospital succumbed to her injuries.

Suguna, 65, a resident of Karur district who had been on ventilator support in the intensive care unit, passed away after failing to respond to treatment.Among the deceased are 18 women, 13 men, five young girls, and five young boys, bringing the total to 41. So far, 34 victims are from the Karur district, two each from the Erode, Tiruppur, and Dindigul districts, and 1 from the Salem district.

The massive crowd at Vijay’s rally on Saturday evening turned chaotic, triggering panic.Several attendees fainted and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Sources had said that overcrowding at the venue led to the tragedy.

Vijay announced that he will provide financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the bereaved families and Rs 2 lakh to the injured in the unfortunate stampede that took place in Tamil Nadu’s Karur during his rally.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Sunday heard a petition seeking to restrain Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, from holding public gatherings, rallies or meetings until the completion of the official inquiry into the Karur stampede tragedy.

Justice N Senthilkumar heard the urgent petition at 4:30 pm. The plea came in the wake of Saturday’s incident at Karur, where a massive crowd at a TVK campaign event led to a stampede, leaving at least 40 people dead and several others injured.

According to sources, the petitioner argued that continuing large-scale political gatherings without accountability could risk further loss of life and that the state must complete a thorough investigation before granting permission for fresh rallies.

The Tamil Nadu government has already ordered a probe, with senior officials and top police reviewing the lapses. Political leaders across party lines, including Chief Minister MK Stalin, opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, and Union leaders, expressed grief and called for strict measures to prevent recurrence.

On Sunday, TVK chief Vijay approached the Madras High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Karur stampede that claimed nearly 40 lives on Saturday. (ANI)