Meanwhile, as TVK president Vijay has been summoned to appear in person at the CBI office in Delhi on January 12, the agency has intensified its investigation into the case.
Published Jan 10, 2026 | 2:04 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 10, 2026 | 2:04 PM
TVK campaign vehicle. (Screengrab)
Synopsis: On Saturday, the campaign vehicle used by Vijay was brought to the CBI office at Thanthonimalai. CBI officials and forensic experts inspected the vehicle, and sources said the vehicle’s driver is also being questioned.
In connection with the Karur tragedy, the campaign vehicle used by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay has been brought to the CBI office, on Saturday, 10 January, where officials are reportedly questioning the driver.
On 27 September 2025, 41 people lost their lives after being caught in a crowd crush during a campaign meeting addressed by TVK leader Vijay in Karur.
Following directions from the Supreme Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been conducting a probe into the incident.
Since 16 October, CBI officials have been carrying out the investigation from a temporary office set up at the Tourist Bungalow in Karur. Over the past three months, CBI officers have questioned multiple stakeholders, including residents of the Velusamipuram area, private ambulance drivers, doctors who conducted post-mortem examinations, family members of the deceased, police personnel, and TVK functionaries.
On Friday, 9 January, officials from the forensic department functioning under the Union Home Ministry, along with more than 10 medical officers from AIIMS, New Delhi, visited the incident site at Velusamipuram. They carried out an inspection using high-end technical cameras.
On Saturday, the campaign vehicle used by Vijay was brought to the CBI office at Thanthonimalai. CBI officials and forensic experts inspected the vehicle, and sources said the vehicle’s driver is also being questioned.
Meanwhile, as TVK president Vijay has been summoned to appear in person at the CBI office in Delhi on January 12, the agency has intensified its investigation into the case.
On 31 October, a 15-member CBI team led by ASP Mahesh Kumar, SP Praveen Kumar, DSP Ramakrishnan, and Inspector Manoharan carried out a field inspection at Velusamipuram, Karur — the site of the stampede.
The team used advanced 3D digital survey technology to assess road width, crowd capacity, bus stands, and nearby streets.
The case was originally registered based on a complaint filed by Karur Town Inspector Manivannan against TVK general secretary Bussy Anand, joint secretary Nirmal Kumar, western district secretary Mathiyazhagan and others.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu government on 2 December, filed its counter-affidavit before the Supreme Court to cancel the CBI investigation into the case and to hand over the probe back to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted earlier by the Madras High Court.
The government also sought the lifting of the stay imposed on the inquiry being conducted by the one-man commission headed by Justice (retd.) Aruna Jagadeesan, so that the commission’s investigation into the Karur incident can be resumed.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
