Karur stampede: CBI summons Vijay again

Actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay has been summoned once again by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to appear before investigators in New Delhi on Tuesday in connection with the probe into the Karur stampede case.

The fresh summons come at a time when political circles in Tamil Nadu are abuzz with speculation about possible alliance talks between the BJP and Vijay’s party ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the CBI has asked Vijay to appear at its headquarters for another round of questioning as part of its ongoing enquiry into the tragic stampede that occurred during his rally in Karur in September 2025.

The incident claimed several lives and left many others injured, triggering widespread criticism over crowd management and security arrangements at the event.

Vijay had previously appeared before the agency twice earlier this year. He was first questioned by the CBI on January 12 in New Delhi, where investigators recorded his statement for more than six hours.

During that session, officials reportedly sought details regarding the planning and organisation of the rally, the permissions obtained, and the arrangements made for managing the massive crowd that had gathered for the event.

The actor-politician returned to the CBI office on January 19 for a second round of questioning.

During that interaction, Vijay is understood to have told investigators that inadequate police deployment at the venue contributed significantly to the chaos that led to the stampede.

According to sources, he argued that the arrangements made by the authorities were insufficient considering the scale of the gathering.

Investigators also questioned Vijay about whether the guidelines issued by the police for public meetings and rallies had been followed.

As part of the probe, he submitted documents related to the event, including the application seeking permission to hold the rally and other communications exchanged with local authorities.

The CBI took over the case from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after the Supreme Court directed the central agency to conduct an independent enquiry.

The order came following a petition filed by TVK seeking a fair and impartial investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

Sources indicated that the upcoming questioning could be the final round of interaction between the agency and Vijay in the case, although investigators may still examine other witnesses and evidence as part of the broader probe.