Karur stampede case: TVK chief Vijay summoned again by CBI, denies responsibility

Vijay was questioned by the central agency for nearly six hours on Monday.

NDTV, quoting sources, reported that Vijay told investigators that his party was responsible for organising the rally where the stampede occurred, but denied allegations that his actions led to the tragedy.

The fatal incident took place on September 27 last year during a massive political rally addressed by Vijay, making it one of the deadliest crowd-related disasters in Tamil Nadu in recent years.

The investigation has changed hands multiple times. Initially, the Madras High Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Later, the Supreme Court transferred the case to the CBI, scrapping a one-member commission appointed by the Tamil Nadu government and observing that a more thorough investigation was necessary.

The apex court also directed that the investigation be monitored by a panel headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.

The Tamil Nadu Police had earlier blamed the chaos on Vijay’s alleged inordinate delay in reaching the venue, claiming that inadequate arrangements for food, drinking water, and toilets triggered unrest among the crowd. Police also cited poor crowd control as the situation spiralled out of hand.

Vijay has strongly denied the allegations, calling them a “conspiracy” by the ruling DMK, a charge the party has rejected. He, in turn, accused the police of serious lapses in crowd management, including failing to clear bottlenecks on approach roads leading to the venue.

The CBI is expected to continue questioning key stakeholders as part of its ongoing probe into the tragedy.