The Madras High Court has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the September 27 stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s TVK rally in Karur, which killed 41 people and injured over 60.

The court ordered the SIT, headed by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg, after expressing dissatisfaction with the local police probe. The court also rejected anticipatory bail pleas of TVK general secretary Bussy N Anand and deputy general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, both named in the FIR.

The bench observed that the court highly condemns the act of the TVK leaders in having abandoned the people who had thronged the venue at Velusamypuram. The leaders were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The court also barred political rallies on state and national highways in Tamil Nadu until safety SOPs are finalised. It dismissed a BJP leader’s plea for a CBI probe.

Only two arrests have been made so far, the court noted. A local TVK leader has already been arrested in the case. The probe will now move to the new team.