TVK chief and actor Vijay is set to appear once again before the Central Bureau of Investigation in Delhi for questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case, which claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 people injured during his party’s rally last year. The agency has summoned him for a fresh round of questioning as part of its ongoing probe into the incident.
Officials said the next phase of questioning will focus on Vijay’s role at the rally and the preparedness of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in managing the massive crowd that turned up for the event. Investigators are examining whether adequate planning and crowd control arrangements were in place, given the scale of attendance.
Vijay departed for the national capital on a chartered aircraft at around 4.15 pm, according to airport officials cited by news agency PTI. His appearance before the agency follows an earlier examination during which he was questioned for more than six hours about the circumstances that led to the deadly stampede at the September 27, 2025 rally in Karur district of Tamil Nadu.
The latest summons comes after a brief postponement that Vijay had requested earlier due to the Pongal festival. During his previous appearance before the CBI, sources said Vijay maintained that neither he nor his party could be held responsible for the tragedy. He also explained his decision to leave the venue before the event concluded, stating that he felt his continued presence might have aggravated the situation.
According to sources familiar with the questioning, Vijay told investigators that remaining at the venue could have led to further chaos and unrest among the crowd. This version, officials noted, was also supported by statements given by other TVK functionaries who were questioned earlier in the investigation.
The CBI is examining multiple aspects of the case, including permissions granted for the venue, documents related to crowd management arrangements, and Vijay’s claim that his party was denied access to a larger venue despite anticipating a huge turnout. Investigators are also scrutinising reports of a nearly seven-hour delay in Vijay’s arrival at the rally, which police officials have previously identified as a contributing factor to the stampede.
Law enforcement authorities have said the prolonged delay led to restlessness among attendees and severe overcrowding at the venue, eventually triggering the deadly crush. CBI officials have indicated that Vijay will be required to substantiate the allegations he has made regarding venue allocation and administrative lapses.
The stampede occurred when an estimated crowd of around 50,000 people gathered at a venue designed to hold only about 10,000. As the crowd density increased, several people reportedly lost consciousness, and ambulance sirens were heard from around 7.30 pm as the situation spiralled out of control. Following the incident, cases were registered against several TVK leaders under multiple legal provisions, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Vijay expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives. He said he was devastated by the incident, extended condolences to the families of those who died, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He later announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh each for those injured, describing the loss as irreparable and assuring continued support to affected families as the investigation moves forward.
