Karur stampede: Tamil YouTuber Felix Gerald arrested for allegedly disseminating rumours

Chennai: Noted Tamil YouTuber Felix Gerald was arrested on Tuesday for "spreading rumours" over the stampede in Karur during a rally organised by actor Vijay's party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which claimed 41 lives and injured over 60, police said.

The arrest comes close on the heels of police registering cases against over 20 people for allegedly spreading rumours over the stampede, and following the arrest of three persons. Gerald runs a YouTube channel featuring content in Tamil on current topics.

Meanwhile, a special police team arrested a TVK functionary, Pounraj, for allegedly harbouring party office-bearer Mathyiyalagan, a key accused in the stampede case. Mathiyalagan was among the three TVK office bearers named in the FIR on the stampede incident.

TVK state general secretary Bussy Anand and party deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar are the other two party office bearers named in the FIR. The three TVK functionaries have been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 125 (endangering life of others), and 223 (disobedience to order), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992, has also been levelled against them, a police official said.

According to the FIR, TVK chief Vijay "deliberately" reached late at Velusamypuram in Karur district, leading to overcrowding and restlessness among the people gathered to attend his rally on September 27.