Karur stampede: CBI summons Vijay today, he seeks 15 days to appear for questioning

New Delhi: The CBI summoned actor and TVK chief Vijay on March 10 for a fresh round of questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case, but he sought 15 days to appear before the agency, citing political engagements, officials said on Monday.

The agency will now issue fresh summons to Vijay, they said.

According to sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also sought the presence of Karur MLA V Senthil Balaji before the investigation team on Monday, but his staff had refused to accept the notice.

The agency then emailed him the notice seeking his presence for questioning in the case. However, it did not receive any response, the sources said.

Vijay was asked to appear before the agency here on March 10, but he sent a formal request seeking another date after 15 days, the officials said.

He also requested the agency to question him at its Chennai office or at any other office in Tamil Nadu, they said.

Highly placed sources said the agency will consider Vijay’s request to be questioned in Tamil Nadu and will issue a notice with fresh dates for questioning.

The actor was earlier questioned by the agency at its headquarters here on January 12 and 19.

During the probe, the CBI has gathered material that needs further questioning and clarifications from the actor, the officials said.

The agency is yet to take a decision on the course of action regarding Balaji, they said.

The CBI took over the case from an SIT following a Supreme Court order and has been gathering evidence related to the September 27, 2025, stampede that occurred during Vijay’s rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur, leaving 41 dead and over 60 injured.

In October last year, the apex court asked the CBI director to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation and also constituted a supervisory committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the agency’s investigation.

A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria had said the stampede has left an imprint in the minds of citizens throughout the country. It has wide ramifications with respect to the lives of citizens, and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kin is of utmost importance, the court said.