CBI Interrogates TVK Chief Vijay Third Time In Karur Stampede Case
CBI questions TVK chief Vijay third time in Karur case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief and actor Vijay for the third time on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in connection with the tragic 2025 Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives. Vijay arrived at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi after traveling from a hotel, cooperating fully with investigators probing the September 27, 2025, incident during a TVK public outreach event in Karur. The stampede erupted amid thousands of attendees waiting for Vijay's address, resulting in 41 deaths and over 60 injuries, marking one of Tamil Nadu's deadliest crowd disasters.
This marks Vijay's third appearance before the CBI, following prior sessions in January 2026 where he maintained that TVK bore no responsibility, attributing the chaos to inadequate crowd control by authorities. The Supreme Court had transferred the case from a state SIT to the CBI, scrapping a Tamil Nadu commission, amid allegations of a seven-hour delay in Vijay's arrival exacerbating congestion.
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Investigators are scrutinizing event permissions, organizational lapses, and police coordination, including questioning TVK officials, Vijay's driver, and former Tamil Nadu ADG S. Davidson Devasirvatham. Tamil Nadu Police FIRs accused TVK leaders of ignoring safety advice and violating regulations to showcase strength, with forensic probes at sites like a sewer where bodies were recovered.
The case stems from a massive rally where overcrowding spiraled into panic, worsened by the prolonged wait and poor venue management. TVK has denied culpability, pointing to state failures, while Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's initial one-member probe by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan was overtaken by CBI's broader inquiry.
As questioning continues, the probe seeks accountability for the preventable tragedy, testing Vijay's rising political profile ahead of potential 2026 polls. Families demand justice, with CBI expected to file charges based on emerging evidence.
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