TVK chief and actor Vijay has told investigators that neither he nor his party bear responsibility for the deadly stampede that occurred in Karur, sources said on Monday. During questioning, which reportedly lasted more than six hours, Vijay maintained that the incident was not caused by any action or instruction from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam or its office bearers. He also explained that he chose to leave the venue because he felt his continued presence could trigger confusion, chaos, or disorder among the crowd.
Sources said Vijay’s statement to the investigators is consistent with the position earlier taken by other TVK functionaries who were questioned in the case. These statements will now be carefully examined and cross-verified with accounts given by police officials. The police have previously suggested that a significant delay attributed to Vijay may have played a role in the circumstances that led to the stampede, a claim that will be assessed as part of the ongoing investigation.
Vijay appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday in connection with the Karur stampede that took place on September 27, 2025. The tragic incident claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 people injured. He arrived in Delhi by a chartered flight at around 10.30 am and proceeded to the CBI headquarters, which had been heavily barricaded in anticipation of his appearance, to comply with a summons issued to him earlier this month.
After completing the necessary formalities, Vijay was questioned by a team from the Anti-Corruption unit of the CBI, which is handling the probe. Sources indicated that he has not been called back for questioning on Tuesday, but the agency is expected to summon him again in the coming days. Further questioning is likely to take place after the Pongal festival, depending on the progress of the investigation.
Several senior TVK leaders, including Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar, accompanied Vijay to Delhi on Monday. Anticipating a large gathering of Vijay’s supporters, authorities deployed multiple units of the Delhi Police along with personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces around the CBI office to maintain law and order. Despite the security arrangements, a small number of fans managed to assemble near the premises.
The CBI has already questioned a number of TVK office bearers as part of the probe and has also summoned former Tamil Nadu Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S. Davidson Devasirvatham. The central agency took over the case from a Special Investigation Team following directions from the Supreme Court of India, which expressed concern over the political undertones surrounding the case and public remarks made by senior police officers.
The Supreme Court also constituted a three-member supervisory committee headed by former judge Ajay Rastogi to oversee the investigation. The court emphasised that the probe must be conducted in a fair, impartial, and unbiased manner, given the sensitivity of the case and the high-profile individuals involved.
The Karur stampede occurred during a TVK campaign rally addressed by Vijay in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district on September 27, 2025. At least 41 people, including women and children, lost their lives, while nearly 60 others sustained injuries. The incident unfolded when an extremely dense crowd became unmanageable, leading to people fainting and falling due to overcrowding, which forced Vijay to stop his speech midway.
Eyewitnesses reported that women and children began losing consciousness as ambulance sirens were heard from around 7.30 pm. Although the police permission granted for the rally mentioned an expected crowd of about 10,000 people, officials later estimated that nearly 50,000 people had gathered at the venue. The rally site reportedly covered an area of approximately 1.20 lakh square feet, which proved inadequate for such a massive turnout.
Following the incident, police registered cases against TVK district secretary Mathiazhagan, party general secretary Bussy Anand, and joint general secretary CT Nirmal Kumar under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These included charges such as culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, rash acts endangering human life, and disobedience of lawful orders, along with sections of the Tamil Nadu Public Property Damage Act.
In his first public statement after the tragedy, Vijay said he was deeply saddened by the loss of lives and described the incident as an irreparable tragedy. He announced compensation of ₹20 lakh each for the families of those who died and ₹2 lakh for those injured. While acknowledging that no amount of money could ease the pain of the affected families, he assured that TVK would stand by them and provide all possible assistance in the aftermath of the disaster.
