- By Shubham Bajpai
- Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:05 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday initiated a detailed line of questioning of actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay as part of its investigation into the deadly Karur stampede case, which claimed 41 lives.
The CBI quizzed the TVK chief and asked him to appear again, the officials said. According to news agency PTI, the CBI wanted him to appear on Tuesday, but Vijay asked for another date, citing Pongal. The officials added that the agency agreed to his request and will give him a fresh date.
What are key aspects under investigation?
The CBI has been investigating the case since October last year after a Supreme Court order, which took the case from the Tamil Nadu Police.
The CBI's probe is centred around examining the circumstances surrounding the stampede at the TVK rally in Karur.
Vijay's delayed arrival: The CBI is probing the alleged seven-hour delay at the venue. Vijay allegedly arrived at the rally site seven hours later than the scheduled programme start time. The CBI is probing whether the delay contributed to the crowd swelling and loss of control.
Ground workers' coordination: Among other aspects that CBI is investigating is whether the TVK ground party at the event coordinated adequately with the local police and district administration, as the crowd had reportedly grown from an estimated 10,000 people to around 30,000.
The alleged delays and party workers' movement are being examined to assess their impact on crowd dynamics.
Permissions and organisers: The CBI is scrutinising documents to check permissions, approvals and to clearly understand who organised the Karur programme.
TVK organisational structure: The CBI is also examining the organisational structure of Vijay's TVK so as to understand the structure and determine responsibility for planning and execution.
The organisational examination will reveal who decided to hold the event in Karur and when Vijay was informed about it.
Prior risk assessment and arrangements: Another focus area of the probe is prior risk assessment. CBI is investigating whether Vijay's team conducted it in coordination with the district administration. Also, basic arrangements, such as drinking water facilities and designated entry and exit points, were provided for the crowd or not, is also being investigated.
Vijay's caravan: The CBI is probing the movement of Vijay's modified caravan through the gathering. The CBI is examining how it passed through the dense crowd and whether there was adequate coordination with local police or not.
When Vijay learnt about the stampede: The central probe agency is investigating when Vijay learnt about the stampede and the sequence of events that followed.
(With ANI Inputs)