INDIA: Indian police have registered a criminal case against senior leaders of Tamil actor Vijay’s political party after a stampede at a campaign rally in Tamil Nadu killed 39 people, including children, and injured over 50 others, officials said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday in Karur district, where Vijay was campaigning for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party ahead of state elections early next year.

Tamil Nadu police filed the case against TVK senior leaders Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and V.P. Mathiyalagan, with investigations currently underway, senior police official V. Selvaraj told Reuters. “TVK originally sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people, but the actual crowd was more than double,” he added.

Vijay, one of Tamil cinema’s most bankable actors for three decades, expressed heartbreak over the tragedy and pledged support to the victims’ families. Chief Minister MK Stalin announced compensation of 1 million rupees ($11,300) per family and appointed a commission led by a retired judge to investigate the cause of the stampede.

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Footage from the rally showed thousands surrounding a large campaign vehicle on which Vijay was speaking. He was seen throwing water bottles to fainting supporters and calling for police help as the crowd grew uncontrollable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “deeply saddening” on X.

Vijay’s TVK party, which launched last year, has positioned itself against the state’s ruling DMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party.