Chennai , 14 March (H.S.): Actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay will leave for New Delhi on Saturday evening to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the tragic stampede that occurred during his campaign rally in Karur last year.

According to sources in the party, Vijay is expected to depart from Chennai at around 3 p.m. and reach the national capital ahead of his scheduled appearance before CBI officials on Sunday (March 15). The agency has issued a fresh summons directing him to appear at its Delhi headquarters as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.

The case relates to the stampede that occurred on September 27 during Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur. A massive crowd had gathered at the venue to see the popular actor-politician, but the situation reportedly spiralled out of control when people surged forward. In the chaos that followed, 41 people, including women and children, lost their lives, sparking widespread concern about crowd management and safety arrangements at large political gatherings.

Following the incident, the case was transferred to the CBI for a detailed probe. Investigators have been examining various aspects related to the organisation of the rally, including the arrangements made for crowd control, permissions granted for the event, and the roles of organisers as well as local authorities.

Vijay had earlier appeared before CBI officials on January 12 and January 19 at the agency’s office in New Delhi, where he was questioned about the planning and conduct of the rally and the sequence of events that led to the stampede.

The agency had initially asked him to appear again on March 10. However, Vijay reportedly sought additional time due to pre-scheduled commitments and also requested permission to attend the questioning at the CBI office in Chennai. The request was rejected, with the agency insisting that the inquiry be conducted in New Delhi.

Sources close to the TVK leadership said Vijay has decided to cooperate fully with the investigation and will travel to Delhi this evening to comply with the summons issued by the CBI.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman