CBI summons actor-politician Vijay for questioning in Karur stampede case
PTC News Desk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned actor-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay for questioning on January 12 in connection with the Karur stampede case.
The stampede case occurred on September 27, 2025 during a TVK political rally in Veluswamypuram, Karur district when massive crowd turned fatal resulting 41 deaths.
This development comes after the investigating agency earlier questioned senior TVK leaders and recorded their statements as part of the probe into the tragedy. At first, the Tamil Nadu government opposed a CBI inquiry and set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incident. The state told the court that an SIT was enough and better suited to handle the case, saying law and order is a state subject.
However, the Supreme Court transferred the case to the CBI, saying the Karur stampede had “shaken the national conscience” and needed an independent and fair investigation. The court rejected the state government’s request to continue with the SIT and allowed the CBI to take over.
After taking charge, the CBI began examining the permissions given for the event, crowd control arrangements, police deployment, and emergency response. It also recorded statements from TVK leaders and officials, including TVK State General Secretary Bussy Anand, Joint Secretaries Nirmal Kumar and Adhav Arjun, and Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan.
Following the Karur stampede, the Madras High Court also directed the Tamil Nadu government to prepare and submit a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for political rallies and public meetings to improve safety at large gatherings.
- With inputs from agencies
