Karur stampede case: Vijay grilled for over 6 hours; CBI to question TVK chief again

NEW DELHI: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday in connection with the September 27, 2025, Karur stampede, which killed 41 people and injured more than 60, officials said. He left around 6:15 pm after being asked questions related to the rally where the incident occurred. The CBI initially asked him to come again, on Tuesday, but he requested a different date, citing Pongal. The agency agreed and a fresh date would be scheduled later. Vijay left Chennai on a charter flight at 7 am and reached the CBI headquarters in New Delhi at 11:29 am. After completing formalities, he was escorted to the agency's Anti-Corruption unit team investigating the case. Anticipating a large turnout of his supporters, multiple units of Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed around the office to prevent protests. The CBI has also questioned Tamil Nadu’s former ADG (law and order) S Davidson Devasirvatham. The federal agency took over the case from a Tamil Nadu Police SIT following a Supreme Court order and has been gathering evidence, with oversight from a three-member supervisory committee headed by former judge Ajay Rastogi.Vijay, who has a massive following in Tamil Nadu, launched the TVK in February 2024. Its first electoral test will be the state assembly elections, expected in May.