What Went Wrong At Karur Rally? TVK’s Vijay Faces CBI Questions On 7-Hour Delay, Crowd Control Lapses & More

New Delhi: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay arrived in Delhi on Monday by a chartered flight to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Karur stampede case.

The investigation relates to a stampede during a TVK rally addressed by Vijay in Karur where 41 people had died and several others were left injured on September 27, 2025, marking one of the deadliest crowd disasters in Tamil Nadu's recent political history.

Vijay is expected to face questions framed on the basis of earlier interrogations of police personnel and district officials, sources said.

According to sources, the CBI will question Vijay about his movements on the day of the incident, including when he arrived at and left the Karur venue. A key focus of the examination is the alleged seven-hour delay between the scheduled time of the programme and Vijay’s arrival, during which the crowd is said to have swelled from an estimated 10,000 to nearly 30,000 people.

Sources said investigators are showing Vijay documents related to permissions sought for the Karur rally, along with statements of multiple witnesses. The agency is seeking clarity on who within the party organised the event, who decided to hold it in Karur and when Vijay was informed about the programme.

The CBI is also questioning Vijay on whether party workers on the ground coordinated with the police and the district administration to manage the crowd and whether any risk assessment was carried out prior to the event. Investigators are examining if basic arrangements such as drinking water facilities and proper entry and exit points were put in place for the gathering.

Another key area under scrutiny is the movement of Vijay’s modified campaign caravan through the crowd. Sources said the agency is questioning how the vehicle moved through the densely packed area, whether the local police were consulted and what safety protocols were followed.

Vijay is also being questioned on when he first became aware of the stampede and the steps taken thereafter.

The Supreme Court had earlier transferred the investigation into the Karur stampede to the CBI. The agency has already examined Tamil Nadu police personnel deployed in Vijay’s security detail, recorded the statements of Karur District Collector M Thangavel and Superintendent of Police K Jose, questioned senior TVK functionaries and examined the campaign vehicle and its driver as part of the ongoing probe.

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