Chennai: Actor turned politician Vijay has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case, with the inquiry scheduled for March 10 — the same day his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) plans to begin interviews for selecting electoral candidates.
The development comes months after the crowd crush incident that occurred on September 27 during a political rally attended by Vijay. The tragedy claimed 41 lives, including ten children, 18 women and 13 men, after a large gathering reportedly exceeded the venue’s capacity.
According to reports, nearly 30,000 people had assembled at the site, although the location could accommodate only around 10,000 individuals. Many attendees had been waiting for hours without adequate facilities, which authorities later identified as a contributing factor to the deadly stampede.
The CBI had earlier issued a notice asking Vijay to appear before investigators on January 12 as part of the ongoing probe into the circumstances that led to the disaster.
Meanwhile, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had announced that interviews to identify candidates for all constituencies would begin on March 10 at the party’s headquarters in Panaiyur, near Chennai. The scheduling of the questioning on the same day has drawn attention as the party prepares for its organisational expansion and electoral strategy.
In the weeks following the tragedy, Vijay met the families of the victims during a private interaction held at a resort in Mamallapuram. During the meeting, he reportedly expressed condolences, apologised for not being able to visit each family personally and assured them of support.
Apart from the investigation, the actor-politician has also been making headlines for developments related to his professional and personal life. His upcoming film Jana Nayagan, widely expected to be his final project before focusing fully on politics, has been facing delays due to certification issues.
The Central Board of Film Certification’s revising committee had planned to review the film again on Monday before issuing a certificate, but the process was postponed after one of the panel members fell ill.
Vijay has also been in the spotlight due to an ongoing divorce case filed by his wife Sangeetha Sornalingam, who has cited alleged personal issues in her petition before the court.
As investigations continue into the Karur incident, authorities are examining crowd management arrangements and other factors that may have contributed to the deadly crush.