Karur stampede probe: Vijay to face 2nd round of CBI grilling in Delhi today; actor to attend TVK manifesto meet on Tuesday

CHENNAI: TVK president Vijay left for New Delhi on Sunday to appear before CBI on Monday for the second round of questioning in the Karur stampede probe.

Vijay, who is being examined as a ‘witness,' is expected to depose before CBI around 11am. TVK functionaries said he would return to Chennai late on Monday itself, unless CBI decides to continue the questioning further.


In his earlier appearance, Vijay told investigators that lapses in crowd control by local police during his Karur campaign led to the Sept 27 stampede that killed 41 people.

He said bottlenecks were not cleared in time, slowing access to the venue and worsening congestion. He also defended his decision of leaving the spot after the stampede, stating that he did so to prevent the situation from escalating.

TVK functionaries said investigators are expected to revisit details, including why he reached the venue late, crowd conditions he witnessed and whether his team received information about the crowd before the programme began. They may also seek clarity on whether police flagged concerns about proceeding further after he arrived near the Karur roundabout.

On his return, Vijay is set to attend the first meeting of the party's 12-member election manifesto panel, led by general secretary Arun Raj, at its headquarters on Tuesday, where members will discuss outreach plans to gather inputs from different communities.

Meanwhile, Madras High Court will take up a case linked to the delayed release of Vijay's film ‘Jana Nayagan.'

The CBI probe and the delay in the film's release had kept the party's political activities muted. Vijay's last public appearance was a month ago in Erode.

On Sunday, TVK chief coordinator K A Sengottaiyan, when asked about possible tie-ups and whether former AIADMK leaders could still come on board, said the party would "wait and see" after Jan 23, without elaborating.