In a fresh blow to actor-turned-politician and founder of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Joseph Vijay, the CBI has issued summons asking him to appear for questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case that claimed 41 lives last September.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI issued a notice on January 6, directing TVK chief Vijay to appear before investigators on January 12 at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi. The summons forms part of the ongoing probe into the Karur stampede, which occurred during a political rally addressed by Vijay.
The agency has already questioned several office-bearers of the TVK and has now decided to examine Vijay himself. Sources indicate that a decision on filing the charge sheet is expected after his questioning.
The CBI took over the investigation from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) following directions from the Supreme Court. The central agency has been collecting evidence related to the stampede that took place on September 27, during what was described as a “people’s rally” organised by the TVK.
On September 27, 2025, at least 41 people including 18 women and 10 children lost their lives in the stampede at Velusamypuram along the Karur–Erode Highway. The victims hailed from Karur, Erode, Dindigul, Tiruppur, and Salem districts. Chaos reportedly erupted near the exit shortly after Vijay’s address, leading to a deadly rush among the crowd.
Earlier, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices J. K. Maheswari and N. V. Anjaria constituted a three-member supervisory committee, headed by retired judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the probe. The court observed that the incident “has a bearing on the fundamental rights of citizens” and that it had “shaken the national conscience”, underlining the need for a fair and impartial investigation.
Following the transfer of the probe to the CBI and mounting opposition criticism, Vijay met the families of the victims at a resort in Mahabalipuram on October 27, nearly a month after the tragic incident.
Vijay and the TVK expressed grief over the tragedy and announced compensation of ₹20 lakh each to the families of those who died, along with ₹2 lakh for the injured. In a subsequent post on X, the TVK claimed that ₹20 lakh had been disbursed to 39 families, amounting to a total of ₹7.8 crore.
The CBI probe is examining issues related to crowd management, security arrangements, and the sequence of events leading to the tragedy. While the TVK blamed the police machinery under the DMK government, the police denied allegations of conspiracy or dereliction of duty. Officials, in turn, blamed the rally organisers, citing a seven-hour delay in Vijay’s arrival, which led to prolonged crowding and worsened conditions at the venue.
According to multiple accounts, women with children, teenagers, and elderly persons were forced to stand for hours without adequate food or drinking water. Some witnesses alleged that when the crowd demanded water, bottles were hurled from a distance, triggering a sudden rush that resulted in the stampede. Others pointed to structural failures, including a tin or asbestos roof collapsing after a tree branch came into contact with a live generator wire, while some claimed that power outages occurred due to people standing on transformer structures.
In Tamil Nadu’s evolving political landscape, the TVK projects itself as an alternative to the ruling DMK, with leaders and cadres joining from the AIADMK, DMK, and other parties. The party is banking on support from Christian communities, youth, and Vijay’s film fan base to influence electoral outcomes. The TVK has declared the DMK as its principal rival and ruled out any alliance with the AIADMK. However, political circles continue to speculate about the possibility of a TVK–Congress alliance. Analysts suggest that if the TVK contests alone or aligns with the Congress, it could dent the DMK’s minority and Christian vote base.
