Three months after the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede that unfolded in September 27, the bureau has issued a notice to actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay before the probe agency on Monday, January 12. The crowd crush tragedy, which unfolded during Vijay's political rally, resulted in the death of 41 people including ten children, 18 women, and 13 men.
Officials said that CBI made enquiries with several TVK office members and has now decided to summon Vijay in the case. A decision on filing chargesheet will be taken after questioning the actor-politician, they said.
The CBI took over the case from an SIT following a Supreme Court order, and the investigating agency has been gathering evidence relating to the stampede.
The tragedy in Karur unfolded after almost 30,000 people had gathered to catch a glimpse of Vijay when its capacity was only about 10,000. Many had waited at the venue for several hours without basic facilities—a major reason cited for the crowd crush.
A major political storm broke out in its aftermath with the state police accusing his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), of brushing off their advice to take adequate precautions. Three days later, Vijay issued a video statement, stating his pain and sorrow, while underlining the involvement of political sabotage in the incident. He also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each victim's family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.
A month after the stampede, Vijay met the victims' families in a closed-door meeting at a private resort in Mamallapuram, near Chennai where he offered all support possible and apologised for not meeting them at their homes.
