Vijay, or as he is called lovingly by his fans, Thalapathy Vijay, was called for a second round of interrogations in the Karur Stampede Case on Monday
(January 19). The actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to answer questions related to the stampede that occurred on September 27, 2025, in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district during one of his political rallies. The incident claimed the lives of 41 people and left over 60 others injured. As part of the investigation, the CBI has already questioned several TVK office bearers, Vijay’s personal driver, and multiple police officials involved in managing security during the event. On Monday, Vijay blamed the lack of arrangement on police's part.
Vijay blames police force
During the interrogation, actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay reportedly told CBI officials that the number of policemen deployed at the venue was “ fairly insufficient” to control the huge crowd that had gathered in Karur last September.
During the questioning on Monday, which lasted a little over six hours, Vijay denied that he continued his speech even after the stampede began. He told investigators that he immediately stopped the speech, sources said. The party and its chief blamed “poor police deployment” and “lax arrangements” for the stampede.
Both TVK and Vijay have maintained that the lack of basic arrangements and the insufficient number of police personnel at the venue were the probable causes of the stampede. Vijay again said that the party had followed all guidelines laid down by the police and district officials for the Karur rally, sources said.
However, Vijay’s statement will now be cross-checked with statements of police officers. Sources said the CBI will also examine documents and records related to police deployment in Karur on September 27.
Vijay's earlier appearance before CBI
The actor had earlier appeared before the central agency on January 12, when he was questioned for more than six hours as well. He was initially asked to return the following day but requested a later date due to Pongal celebrations. The agency agreed, leading to the second round of questioning on January 19. The probe comes amid his troubles with CBFC to release his last film Jana Nayagan, which has still not received clearance.
