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Three months after the Karur stampede, which claimed 41 lives, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, January 12 in New Delhi for the inquiry. The actor-politician was questioned on several matters, including his decision to leave the venue when the situation worsened and the delay in his arrival.
The TVK chief was asked to narrate the sequence of events, as known to him, that led to the stampede. Authorities also questioned if he was aware of how congested the venue was and the expected footfall.
He was also questioned if an announcement was made regarding a missing child while his speech was underway, and if he knew about the ongoing commotion. The CBI also wanted to know if Vijay was aware that police had lathi-charged crowds.
DGP Armed Police Davidson Devasirvatham was also asked to appear before the CBI on Monday. The central agency has also issued summons to TVK general secretary for elections Aadhav Arjuna, joint general secretary Nirmal Kumar and producer Jagadish Palanisamy in connection with the case.
On September 27, thousands of TVK supporters and Vijay fans gathered at Velusamypuram in Karur town. Vijay was expected to arrive at 12.45 pm but arrived only at 7 pm. The over six-hour delay led to crowds growing larger and more impatient, heat exhaustion and dehydration.
When Vijay finally arrived, around 5,000 supporters who were tailing his campaign bus merged with the waiting crowds, triggering chaos. Forty-one people, including nine children were killed in the stampede that followed.
As the death toll touched 30, Vijay left for Chennai from Trichy on a chartered flight, ignoring press questions at both airports.
Investigation into the stampede were transferred to the CBI on October 13, following a Supreme Court ruling.