Vijay to appear before CBI on Jan 12 in Karur stampede case

Chennai, Jan 11 (LatestNewsX) Actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay is set to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in New Delhi on Monday in connection with the probe into the Karur campaign stampede that claimed 41 lives last year, party sources said on Sunday.

Vijay is scheduled to depose at around 11 a.m., following a summons issued by the CBI on January 6 under Section 179 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

He has been cited as a witness in the case. After consultations with senior legal counsel and party functionaries, Vijay has decided to cooperate fully with the investigation and comply with the summons.

“Legal experts have advised that if any issues arise during the course of questioning, appropriate remedies can be sought before the court,” a party source said.

“Since TVK had earlier sought the transfer of the probe from the state police to a central agency or judicial supervision, avoiding the summons now would not be in our interest,” the source added.

The CBI is probing the stampede that occurred on September 27, 2025, at Velusamipuram in Karur district during a TVK election campaign event. The tragedy left 41 people dead and at least 110 others injured.

The investigation was handed over to the central agency following directions from the Supreme Court, which ordered a CBI probe into the incident.

As part of the investigation, the agency has already examined several TVK office-bearers, including N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, CTR Nirmal Kumar and Mathiyazhagan. Statements were also recorded from the Karur District Collector (IAS) and the Superintendent of Police (IPS). These examinations were conducted over December 29, 30 and 31, with investigators reportedly recording nearly 19.5 hours of testimony.

In a related development, teams from the CBI, the Union Home Ministry and the Central Forensic Science Laboratories under the Directorate of Forensic Science Services on Saturday inspected the campaign bus used by Vijay during the Karur event.

The bus, brought from Chennai and parked at the PWD guest house in Karur, was examined for its CCTV systems and other onboard facilities.

The driver, Bharanidharan (34), was also questioned.

Officials verified the quality and positioning of the cameras on the bus, and the entire inspection process was video recorded. Sources said the checks were prompted by reports suggesting that high-resolution cameras had been installed on the vehicle used during the campaign.

aal/dpb