NEW DELHI: The CBI on Tuesday summoned Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Tamil superstar Vijay to appear on January 19 for a second round of questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case. Vijay, who was questioned for over six hours at the CBI headquarters in Delhi on Monday, had initially been asked to return the next day but requested a later date, citing the Pongal festival. The federal probe agency also questioned Tamil Nadu’s former ADG (law and order) S Davidson Devasirvatham on Tuesday. So far, it has questioned several TVK office bearers, Vijay’s driver, and some police officers in the case.The CBI took over the investigation from a Tamil Nadu Police SIT following a Supreme Court order and has been gathering evidence related to the September 27, 2025, stampede in Karur, where 41 lives were lost and more than 60 people were injured. The Supreme Court also set up a three-member supervisory committee, headed by its former judge, Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the probe. A bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and NV Anjaria noted that the stampede has “left an imprint in the minds of citizens throughout the country.” The bench added that the matter has “wide ramifications” for citizens’ lives and that enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kin is of “utmost importance.”The top court also criticised senior police officers for making public comments about the case “without having regard for the gravity of the incident,” warning that such statements could create “doubts” about the impartiality and fairness of the investigation. After years of hinting at a political plunge, Vijay finally launched the TVK in February 2024. The party’s maiden electoral outing will be the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, expected in April.(With PTI inputs)
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