CBI Summons Actor Vijay Again for Inquiry into Fatal Rally Stampede

Ongoing Investigation into Rally Incident

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has called upon actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay for further questioning on January 19. This inquiry is related to a tragic stampede that occurred during his rally in Karur district, Tamil Nadu, resulting in the deaths of 41 individuals, as reported by unnamed officials.

On Monday, the agency spent over six hours recording his statement and intends to continue the questioning the following day.

However, CTR Nirmal Kumar, the leader of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, indicated that the party requested a rescheduling due to the Pongal festival and other political engagements.

The stampede happened on September 27 at Veluchamy Puram around 7:30 PM while Vijay was addressing his supporters from a campaign vehicle. Many attendees fainted due to the excessive crowd, leading to interruptions in his speech as ambulances were called to assist those who collapsed.

Initial reports suggest that while permission was granted for 10,000 attendees, over 25,000 people were present at the event. Among the deceased were 18 women and nine children.

On October 13, the Supreme Court mandated a CBI investigation into the incident. A three-member supervisory committee, led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, was established to oversee the investigation's integrity.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has also requested an independent investigation supervised by the Supreme Court, expressing concerns over the High Court's decision to form a Special Investigation Team solely comprising Tamil Nadu Police officers.

The petition raised suspicions of a potential 'pre-planned conspiracy' by 'miscreants' behind the stampede, arguing that a state police-led investigation would not be impartial.