The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued a fresh summons to Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), requiring him to appear at the agency’s New Delhi headquarters on March 15, 2026. This follows a previous summons for March 10, which the actor-turned-politician requested to defer by 15 days due to his ongoing “candidate interviews” for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
While Vijay requested that the questioning be shifted to Chennai or a nearby location in Tamil Nadu to accommodate his political schedule, the CBI has maintained the requirement for him to appear in the capital. This will mark the third time Vijay has been questioned by the central agency, following two rounds of interrogation in January.
Scope of the Investigation
The CBI is investigating the tragic stampede that occurred on September 27, 2025, during a TVK rally in Karur, which claimed 41 lives and injured over 60 people. Key areas of focus include:
- The “Seven-Hour Delay”: Discrepancies between the scheduled start time and Vijay’s actual arrival, which reportedly led to crowd restlessness.
- Organisational Lapses: Whether proper risk assessments were conducted and if the coordination with local authorities was sufficient for a crowd that swelled from 10,000 to nearly 30,000.
- Caravan Movement: How Vijay’s modified caravan moved through the dense gathering and its impact on crowd dynamics.
Senthil Balaji Confirms Appearance
In a related development, MLA V. Senthil Balaji has confirmed he will appear before the CBI on March 17, 2026. Although initial reports suggested he had not received the notice, Balaji took to social media to clarify that he has now received the communication via email and intends to provide full cooperation to the investigators.
The case was transferred to the CBI from a state-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) following a Supreme Court directive, which emphasized the need for an independent and impartial probe into the national tragedy.