As the investigation into the Karur stampede moves forward, the Central Bureau of Investigation has called in Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief, actor Vijay, for questioning. He’s expected to appear at the CBI Headquarters in Delhi on January 12.
Actor Vijay gets summoned by CBI
In September, a stampede broke out during a public event organised by TVK in Karur. Vijay was there that day. The tragedy left at least 41 people dead and over a hundred injured.
After the incident, the Supreme Court took serious note and ordered the CBI to dig into what really happened and find out who’s responsible.
To maintain transparency, the Court established a three-member committee, led by former Supreme Court Justice Ajay Rastogi, to oversee the investigation. All of this came after TVK pressed for an impartial probe into the disaster.
How did the Karur tragedy unfold?
Vijay kicked off his first statewide tour on September 13, starting in Trichy. Right from the start, TVK landed in hot water. The roadshows led to massive traffic jams and even damage to public property.
It got worse. TVK members wrecked a boys’ toilet at a school, damaged a toll gate, and broke handrails at the Trichy airport. The police filed multiple cases.
The tour covered almost every important district, including Karur and Namakkal—both scheduled for September 27. The tour’s final date was pushed back to early 2026.
A couple of days before the Karur event, on September 25, TVK sent a letter to the police asking for permission to hold a rally in Karur. They suggested two places: Lighthouse Roundtana or the Uzhavar Santhai Thidal, the farmers market.
TVK said they expected 10,000 people to show up.
But both places sit in the middle of busy business areas, so the police picked Velusamypuram on the Karur-Erode Road, a usual spot for political rallies.
Davidson Devasirvatham, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), said they deployed 500 police officers and expected the crowd could swell to 15,000.
Delay in Vijay’s schedule
Vijay’s schedule had him speaking in Namakkal at 8:45 am, then driving 40 km to Karur’s Velusamypuram for a 12:45 pm speech.
That didn’t happen. He only got to Namakkal at 2 pm, spoke for half an hour, and then left for Karur around 3 pm. Police say at least 5,000 supporters tailed him in their own vehicles.
But in Karur, people had started gathering as early as 9 am—entire families, kids, and, unusually for a political rally, lots of young women.
By the time Vijay’s convoy neared Karur, the roadsides were packed. There weren’t enough barricades to keep the crowds back. Vijay needed a police escort just to get through.
Even before Vijay arrived, around 6 pm, people were already fainting from the heat and exhaustion. Ambulances started coming in, rushing people to hospitals. “No one arranged for water. People came into our compound begging for it,” a local woman told reporters.
As soon as Vijay arrived, more people surged forward hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Usually, he turns on a spotlight inside his bus so fans can see him through the tinted windows, but this time he didn’t. It was getting dark, and the crowds pressed in closer, trying to spot him.
Vijay rally: Panic triggered as scene turned chaotic
With nowhere left to stand, people climbed trees and nearby buildings, teashops, mostly tin-roofed. The roofs gave way under their weight and collapsed. A tree branch snapped too, leaving several people injured.
The scene turned chaotic. Supporters panicked and pushed, and the police resorted to lathi charges to control the crowd.
Vijay started his speech anyway, even as chaos erupted around him. He had to stop three times as more ambulances pushed through the crowd. Seeing fans faint, Vijay threw water bottles into the crowd and pleaded with people to clear paths for the ambulances.
TVK supporters make a shocking claim
Power cuts made things worse. The generators failed, and Vijay’s mic died. Police said people started throwing shoes and stones, trying to get his attention. Vijay asked the crowd if he should keep speaking they shouted yes.
With the mic out, people pushed even closer to the bus. TVK supporters later claimed the power was deliberately cut, but video and eyewitness accounts showed people climbing onto transformers to get a better look at Vijay.
That’s when the stampedes started. One near a teashop, another by Ganapathi Bakery, and a third close to the generators. People fell and got trampled.
As Vijay left, crowds tried to follow his bus, setting off more panic and more stampedes. Hospitals reported at least 32 people brought in dead, including women and children.
