A senior functionary of actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has been accused of sexually harassing a woman in Chennai, triggering political controversy even as the party chief was on a visit to Karnataka.
The accused, Vembuli, is the North Regional Secretary of TVK and is in Vijay’s inner political circle. A woman from Alandur has filed a formal complaint against him, claiming repeated harassment and abuse of power.
According to the complaint filed with the St. Thomas Mount police, the woman, who has been living alone since the death of her husband, was managing a women's fitness centre in Ward 160 of Alandur. She said Vembuli bullied her into complying with his demands and threatened her position at the facility.
The complainant also alleged that Vembuli frequently visited her residence late at night and subjected her to sexual harassment. Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and launched an investigation.
Efforts are underway to locate Vembuli, who is still at large. Police teams are being sent to locate him and gather more evidence in the case.
The controversy erupted while the TVK founder and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay was in Karnataka. On his visit, Vijay made special prayers at the famous Mookambika Temple in Kollur, Udupi district and presented a silver sword to the deity.
Ex-BJP Tamil Nadu president and senior leader Annamalai strongly criticised the incident. In a Facebook post, he described the allegations as shocking and said they contradicted all the promises Vijay had given to the women regarding their safety.
தவெக ஆலந்தூர் வடக்கு பகுதிச் செயலாளர் வேம்புலி என்ற நபர், கணவரை இழந்து தனியே வசிக்கும் பெண்ணின் வீடு புகுந்து, பாலியல் அத்துமீறலில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள செய்தி, மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சி அளிக்கிறது.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 12, 2026
பெண்களின் பாதுகாப்பு குறித்து தவெக தலைவர் முதலமைச்சர் திரு @TVKVijayHQ அவர்கள் கூறிவரும்… pic.twitter.com/2h3IJKXZw2
Annamalai also asked why crimes against women are still committed despite political promises and urged the state government to ensure political affiliation does not protect those accused of crimes. He demanded strict action against the accused and called for a transparent investigation.
As the criticism mounted, TVK moved fast against the accused. Chennai Suburban TVK District Secretary Saravanan announced that Vembuli had been expelled from the party’s primary membership as well as all organisational posts, citing conduct that had brought disrepute to the party.
The case has triggered a heated debate in Tamil Nadu with opposition leaders demanding accountability and swift legal action. Police investigations are ongoing, and officials have said that further action will be taken based on the findings of the probe.
