CBI Questions Vijay for Over 6 Hours; Actor Denies TVK’s Role in Karur Stampede

TVK chief and actor Vijay has told investigators that neither his party nor its functionaries were responsible for the deadly Karur stampede, sources said on Monday.

During questioning that lasted over six hours, Vijay said he left the venue as he felt his continued presence could trigger chaos, the sources added. According to the sources, Vijay maintained the same position taken earlier by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) office bearers who have already been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The statements will now be examined and corroborated with those of police officials, who have previously claimed that delays by the actor contributed to the stampede.

Vijay appeared before the CBI in Delhi on Monday in connection with the September 27, 2025 Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 people injured. He arrived in the national capital by a chartered flight around 10.30 am and reached the heavily barricaded CBI headquarters shortly thereafter to comply with the summons issued earlier this month.

After completing formalities, Vijay was questioned by a team from the CBI’s Anti-Corruption unit, which is handling the probe. He has not been asked to appear again on Tuesday but is expected to be summoned in the coming days, possibly after the Pongal festival, sources said.

TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar accompanied Vijay to Delhi. Anticipating a large gathering of supporters, multiple units of the Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed around the CBI office, though a small group of fans managed to assemble nearby.

The central agency has already questioned several TVK office bearers and has summoned former Tamil Nadu additional director general of police (law and order) S Davidson Devasirvatham as part of the investigation.

The CBI took over the case from a Special Investigation Team following a Supreme Court order that flagged concerns over political overtones and public remarks by senior police officers. The apex court also constituted a three-member supervisory committee headed by former judge Ajay Rastogi to oversee the probe, stressing the need for an impartial and unbiased investigation.

Karur Stampede

At least 41 people, including women and children, were killed and nearly 60 injured in a stampede during a TVK campaign rally addressed by Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on September 27, 2025. The incident occurred after the overcrowded venue descended into chaos, forcing Vijay to halt his speech midway.

While police permission was granted for a crowd of 10,000, officials later estimated that nearly 50,000 people had gathered at the venue, which spanned about 1.2 lakh square feet. Cases were subsequently registered against several TVK office bearers under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Tamil Nadu Public Property Damage Act.

In his first statement after the incident, Vijay expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced compensation of ₹20 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh for the injured, assuring continued support to the affected families.