Karur stampede: Vijay tells CBI he left venue to prevent ruckus, denies party role

NEw Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 12, 2026 18:16 IST

TVK chief and actor Vijay has told investigators that neither his party nor its functionaries were responsible for the deadly Karur stampede, sources said on Monday. During questioning, Vijay also said he left the venue as he felt his presence could create chaos and ruckus, the sources added.

According to sources, the same stand has been taken by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) functionaries who were questioned earlier. The statements will now be analysed and corroborated with those of police officials, who have previously claimed that a considerable delay on the actor’s part contributed to the stampede.

Vijay appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday in connection with the September 27, 2025 incident in Tamil Nadu’s Karur, which claimed 41 lives and left over 60 people injured. He reached the heavily barricaded CBI headquarters in Delhi at 11.29 am and was questioned by the agency’s Anti-Corruption unit, which is probing the case.

Anticipating a large turnout of the actor-politician’s supporters, multiple units of Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed around the CBI office to prevent any protests. A small group of fans, however, managed to gather outside the premises.

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