New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Vijay was questioned for nearly six hours on Monday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the deadly stampede at his political rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district, which claimed 41 lives last September, officials said.
The tragic incident occurred on September 27, 2025, during a massive rally addressed by Vijay, the chief of Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). The stampede is considered one of the deadliest crowd disasters in Tamil Nadu’s recent political history.
This marked the second round of questioning for Vijay. He was earlier examined for six hours at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi on January 12. Although he was asked to appear again on January 13, Vijay sought a different date due to the Pongal festival.
Police Allegations vs Vijay’s Defence
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the Tamil Nadu Police had blamed Vijay’s alleged inordinate delay in reaching the venue for triggering chaos. According to the police, the prolonged wait led to an uncontrolled surge in the crowd, eventually resulting in the stampede.
Officials also cited poor facilities, including lack of food, drinking water, and toilets, stating that the exhausted crowd turned unruly.
Vijay, however, strongly denied the allegations, calling them a “conspiracy” by the ruling DMK, a charge the party has rejected. He countered by accusing the police of poor crowd control and failure to clear bottlenecks on approach roads leading to the venue.
Notably, it was Vijay’s own party, TVK, that had initially sought a CBI probe into the incident.
CBI Probe and Key Questions
The CBI took over the investigation in October 2025, following a Supreme Court order, replacing the Tamil Nadu Police.
One of the central issues under scrutiny is the so-called “seven-hour discrepancy”. Investigators are examining whether the delay between the scheduled start of the rally and Vijay’s actual arrival caused the crowd to swell from an expected 10,000 people to over 30,000, leading to a complete breakdown of crowd control.
The agency is also probing:
- When Vijay became aware of the stampede
- The sequence of events that followed
- The exact timings of his arrival and departure
- Decisions taken to continue the rally despite mounting chaos
On Monday, Vijay was questioned again specifically on the seven-hour delay, along with issues related to rally planning, crowd turnout, mismanagement, and his alleged early exit from the venue, which he has denied.
CBI Re-examines Statements
During the second round, Vijay was questioned by a team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police from the CBI’s anti-corruption wing. Officials said the agency re-examined his earlier statement to check for contradictions, as similar responses had been recorded from other TVK leaders.
During the first round of questioning, Vijay was reportedly handed a booklet containing more than 90 questions. Sources said he consistently maintained that neither he nor his party was responsible for the stampede, blaming administrative lapses instead.
Questioning of Police and Party Leaders
Separately, the CBI has also been questioning nine police personnel who were on security duty during the Karur rally at the agency’s local office.
So far, the agency has examined several TVK leaders, including Aadhav Arjuna, Bussy Anand, CT Nirmal Kumar, Mathiyalagan, and Vijay’s driver.
TVK joint general secretary CT Nirmal Kumar said the party was fully cooperating with the investigation.
“Lots of rumours are being spread which are not true. We all know what happened in Karur. MPs from Delhi had gone there, and even the Tamil Nadu BJP president has spoken about it,” he said.
“We are cooperating with the investigating agencies. Please refrain from spreading misinformation. He (Vijay) has not been called again,” Kumar added.
Political Context
The probe comes at a crucial time, with TVK preparing for its electoral debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, making the outcome of the investigation politically significant.