Written by Arun JanardhananChennai | Updated: September 30, 2025 01:55 PM IST 3 min readA visual from the spot where a stampede occured during a public event of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam Chief and Actor Vijay, in Karur on Monday. (Photo: Videograb@ANI)In the aftermath of the stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur that left 41 people dead, Tamil Nadu Police has moved swiftly against those it accuses of fuelling panic online. On Tuesday, the Cyber Crime Wing arrested YouTuber Felix Gerald from his Nungambakkam residence, accusing him of spreading misinformation in a video that blamed the state government for the disaster.He is among several influencers, party functionaries and social media users now facing criminal charges. One of the videos by Felix had over one million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours. Meanwhile, clamour has grown from opposition groups for a probe beyond the state’s control. A petition filed before the Madras High Court demanding a transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is being heard today.On Monday, police arrested three people — Sagayam, a BJP functionary from Perumbakkam, and two Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) cadres, Sivanesan of Mangadu and Sarathkumar of Avadi — for allegedly circulating false claims on social media.In an official statement, Greater Chennai Police said 25 accounts had been booked for sharing “rumours and malicious theories” about the Karur tragedy. “Strict action will be taken against anyone posting or forwarding content that causes fear or disrupts public order,” the statement said, warning that even retweets could attract legal consequences.The political fallout has been immediate. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who visited Karur to meet grieving families, demanded a CBI inquiry, arguing that people had “no faith” in the DMK-appointed one-member judicial commission.He accused the government of attempting to “cover up its failures” through video messaging and “ambulance politics.” The BJP, PMK and AMMK have raised a similar demand, questioning the venue allocation, crowd control and allegations of police lathi charge on the day of the rally.DMK leaders have hit back. Party MP Kanimozhi, after visiting victims’ families, condemned Vijay and his TVK lieutenants for abandoning the scene. She described his immediate departure from Karur as “inhuman,” contrasting it with Chief Minister M K Stalin’s night-long presence in the district. She also singled out TVK election manager Aadhav Arjuna for what she called the “height of irresponsibility” in incendiary social media posts invoking mass protests. “Instead of staying back to console the families, the leader left — something I have never witnessed before,” she said.Story continues below this adDoctors at the Government Medical College Hospital confirmed that compressive asphyxia — suffocation caused by chest pressure in a crowd crush — was the primary cause of death. Of the 41 victims, 18 were women, 13 men and 10 children. Autopsies conducted by 16 doctors revealed multiple rib and spinal fractures, with the first victim, a two-year-old boy, brought in around 8 pm on Saturday. By 10 pm, the toll had surged past 30.Hospital officials said 110 people were injured. As of Monday night, 51 had been discharged, while 59 remain under treatment in Karur, Madurai and private facilities, including two in intensive care.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Tamil Nadu Police