Actor and TVK chief Vijay has been summoned once again by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on January 19 in connection with the Karur stampede tragedy, in which 41 people lost their lives. Vijay was previously questioned for six hours, during which sources say he acknowledged that his party organised the rally where the incident occurred. The tragedy took place on September 27, 2025, during a massive political rally addressed by Vijay. It was one of the deadliest crowd-related incidents in Tamil Nadu in recent years. The Tamil Nadu Police had previously attributed the chaos to Vijay’s delayed arrival and inadequate arrangements, including insufficient food, water, and restroom facilities, which reportedly caused frustration among attendees.
The investigation has changed hands multiple times. Initially, the Madras High Court set up a Special Investigation Team, but the case was later transferred to the CBI after the Supreme Court ruled that further investigation was required and scrapped a one-member commission appointed by the state government. The probe is being monitored by a panel headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Vijay has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a “conspiracy” by the DMK. He also accused the police of poor crowd management and failure to clear bottlenecks on the approach roads. The DMK has rejected his claims.