- TVK Chief Vijay questioned by CBI over Karur stampede deaths
- Stampede at Vijay's rally killed 41, injured over 60, due to alleged safety lapses
- CBI probe ordered by Supreme Court after TVK petition for independent inquiry
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief and actor Vijay appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the third round of questioning in connection with the Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed.
On September 27, 2025, during a political rally addressed by Vijay, who is making his poll debut in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election this year, a stampede broke out, killing 41 and leaving over 60 injured. Sources in the state government alleged a violation of safety norms at Vijay's rally. The sources also alleged that Vijay arrived nearly seven hours late, and a crowd of 27,000 gathered at a venue with a capacity of 10,000. The sources have also said that food and drinking water arrangements were not made at the venue.
A month after the stampede, the CBI took over the investigation, as directed by the Supreme Court following a petition filed by the TVK for an independent probe.
A source from the TVK had told NDTV, "Our leader will cooperate with the stampede investigation. We hope this will bring out the truth."
Since then, the CBI has been interrogating Vijay, raising questions about who organised the Karur programme, whether the actor had prior knowledge of the arrangements for drinking water, sanitation, and security, why he arrived late at the venue, what efforts were made to control the crowd, and when he learnt about the crowding.
Vijay was summoned twice in January - on the 12th and 18th. The third summon was issued for March 9, but the actor requested that it be deferred by 15 days.
The actor had also urged that the questioning be conducted in Chennai or any office in Tamil Nadu, citing political engagements due to the upcoming assembly elections in the state, officials said.
He was asked to appear on March 15 in Delhi at the CBI headquarters. DMK MLA from Karur, Senthil Balaji, has also been asked to appear for questioning on March 17.
As part of the inquiry, the CBI has already questioned several senior TVK functionaries. Those examined include the party's general secretary Bussi Anand, Election Management Division general secretary Adhav Arjuna, joint general secretary Nirmal Kumar, and Karur district secretary Mathiyazhagan.
