The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay again for questioning on January 19 in connection with the probe into the Karur stampede tragedy, according to agency sources.
On Monday (January 12, 2026), the agency recorded his statement for over six hours and wanted to continue the questioning on Tuesday (January 13, 2026). However, Mr. Vijay asked for another date due to Pongal.
The CBI has examined several other TVK leaders during the investigations so far. It re-registered the case on the orders of the Supreme Court on October 13. Noting that the incident had “shaken the national conscience”, the court ordered the probe into the stampede that claimed 41 lives during a rally organised by the TVK.
The court has also constituted a three-member monitoring committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to supervise the progress of the CBI probe.
Karur stampede: A visual timeline on how the tragedy unfolded
Stating that entrusting the probe to the same police whose senior officials had publicly exonerated their subordinates would compromise the credibility of the investigation, the court said: “This fact in itself creates a doubt in the minds of the general public about the independence and impartiality of the investigation… Caught in the doldrums are the families of the deceased, injured victims and kith and kin of those who lost their lives in this tragedy. For them, the political tussle between the two sides is of little solace”.
