Karur stampede: TVK functionaries released after court refuses to extend their remand

The Judicial Magistrate I court here on Wednesday refused to extend the judicial custody of V.P. Mathiyazhagan, Karur (west) district secretary, and C. Pounraj, Karur central town secretary, who were arrested in connection with the Karur stampede case that claimed 41 lives.

Upon the end of the period of judicial custody, Mr.Mathiyazhagan and Mr.Pounraj were brought from the Tiruchi Central Prison and produced before the Judicial Magistrate, S.P. Bharat Kumar.

Citing the Supreme Court order that transferred the Karur stampede case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), an Assistant Public Prosecutor made a plea before the Magistrate to extend the remand of both until the competent CBI court heard the matter.

Opposing the plea, advocate D. Arasu, representing the TVK leaders, said that the Supreme Court had ordered the transfer of Karur stampede case to CBI on Monday itself. The Special Investigation Team, which was investigating the case until Monday, could no longer handle the case. Hence, the judicial custody could not be extended.

After hearing the arguments from both sides Mr. Bharat Kumar refused to extend the judicial custody and both of them were subsequently released.

Meanwhile, the District Sessions Court dismissed the bail plea of Venkatesan, 40, district secretary of Salem, who was arrested in connection with a case registered by the Karur town police against a group of TVK cadre for allegedly assaulting a private ambulance driver during the stampede at actor Vijay’s rally in Karur on September 27.

N. Senthilkumar, Public Prosecutor, submitted that Venkatesan was yet to be interrogated in detail in the case. The police had planned to take him in their custody. Hence, the bail plea of him should not be entertained. District Judge K.H. Elavazhagan dismissed Venkatesan’s bail petition.