Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay is scheduled to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its New Delhi headquarters on Monday for questioning in connection with the deadly stampede at a political rally in Karur district, Tamil Nadu.
The tragic incident took place on September 27 at Veluchamipuram near Karur, when a massive crowd gathered for a campaign rally attended by Vijay. Amid severe overcrowding and alleged lapses in crowd control, a stampede broke out, resulting in the death of 41 people and leaving more than 100 others injured.
The incident triggered widespread public outrage and led to judicial scrutiny, following which the Supreme Court directed the CBI to take over the investigation.
Acting on the court’s order, a special CBI team from Delhi has been camping in Karur for several weeks to conduct a detailed probe.
According to officials, the agency has so far examined more than 200 individuals, including family members of the deceased, injured victims, ambulance drivers, eyewitnesses, and local residents. Statements have also been recorded from several officials and political functionaries connected with the rally.
Among those already questioned are TVK leaders N. Anand, Adhav Arjun, and CTR Nirmal Kumar, as well as the Karur District Collector and the Superintendent of Police. Several of them were summoned to Delhi as the investigation progressed to its next stage.
As part of the reconstruction exercise, CBI officials brought Vijay’s campaign vehicle to Karur and conducted an inch-by-inch technical and forensic inspection. The vehicle’s driver at the time of the incident, Paraneetharan, was asked to reenact the sequence of events by sitting in the same seat alongside Vijay, in an effort to ascertain the circumstances that led to the stampede and to identify possible lapses.
With the probe entering a crucial phase, the CBI issued a formal summons to Vijay, asking him to appear before the agency on January 12.
Sources indicated that investigators are likely to ask a series of pointed questions regarding crowd management, security arrangements, permissions, and the overall conduct of the rally. In view of the sensitive political climate, the Union Home Ministry requested the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure adequate security for Vijay.
Accordingly, extensive security arrangements have been put in place under Y-category norms, involving his personal security staff, Central Reserve Police Force personnel, and Delhi Police officials.
Vijay departed from Chennai by a private flight and is expected to proceed directly to the CBI office in Delhi.
As the high-profile leader prepares to face questioning, the case has drawn national attention, with political observers closely watching whether the investigation will have wider political implications in the days ahead.
(IANS)
