Several months after a deadly stampede at a campaign event in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to question Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay in connection with the incident, a report said on Saturday.
The tragedy took place on September 27 at Veluchamipuram in Karur during a campaign led by Vijay, when a sudden surge in the crowd triggered a stampede.
Forty-one people were killed, and at least 110 others were injured, triggering widespread outrage and calls for an independent investigation.
The Supreme Court took note of the incident and, through an interim order on October 13, transferred the probe to the CBI.
The apex court further set up a monitoring committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, signalling the seriousness with which the case would be handled.
Following the court’s direction, the CBI began its inquiry and has already examined several senior leaders of the TVK, including State General Secretary Bussy Anand, Joint Secretaries Nirmal Kumar and Adhav Arjun, and Karur West District Secretary Mathiyazhagan.
News agency IANS, citing sources, said the party functionaries recorded their statements and provided details related to the planning and conduct of the campaign event.
With that phase of questioning completed, investigators are now expected to turn their attention to Vijay. Officials are understood to be examining his role in relation to crowd management, security arrangements and compliance with permissions and safety norms at the venue.
However, security and logistical concerns are said to be a factor. As per sources cited by IANS, summoning Vijay to Karur could lead to challenges due to the sensitivity of the case and the public attention it continues to draw.
Against this backdrop, the CBI is considering questioning the TVK leader in Chennai, where tighter security arrangements can be put in place.
The investigation remains under the supervision of the Supreme Court-appointed committee as the agency works to identify lapses and fix responsibility for one of the deadliest crowd-related incidents linked to a political campaign in recent years.