The Chennai South Cyber Crime Police arrested retired police officer Varadharajan for posting alleged defamatory content on social media against Justice N Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court, who made personal remarks against actor and politician Vijay regarding the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives.
The incident occurred on 27 September 2025 at Velusamypuram in Karur, where nearly 30,000 people reportedly gathered for Vijay’s first major rally after launching his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The venue, designed to accommodate only a few thousand, became overcrowded, resulting in a stampede that caused multiple fatalities and injuries.
Following the tragedy, Tamil Nadu Police intensified action against individuals spreading “misinformation” and provocative content related to the incident. Cybercrime units registered several cases for attempts to disturb public order through false or inflammatory posts. Popular YouTubers Felix Gerald and Maridhas were among those targeted in the crackdown. The court declined to remand Gerald to custody, while Maridhas was questioned and released with a direction to appear for further inquiry if required.
Justice N Senthilkumar, who is hearing petitions connected to the stampede, earlier directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under North Zone Inspector General Asra Garg to probe the circumstances leading to the disaster. During one of the hearings, the judge made unwarranted remarks about Vijay and his leadership quality, suggesting that TVK’s top functionaries, including Vijay, had shown poor management of the event.
The judge’s comments triggered an online debate, drawing both support and hostility. Police said retired police officer R Varadharajan, who heads a small political organisation called Nethaji Makkal Katchi and regularly uploads political commentary videos on his YouTube channel Nethaji TV, had posted a video allegedly attacking the judge over his observations. He questioned the neutrality of the judge given that he shares close ties with the DMK.
Based on complaints and digital evidence, cybercrime officers arrested Varadarajan. Officials stated that the arrest forms part of a larger operation aimed at ‘curbing hate campaigns’ and maintaining lawful public discourse while the sensitive judicial inquiry remains underway.
(With inputs from Sakshi Post)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
