10 March,2026 10:13 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Vijay
The CBI had summoned actor and TVK chief Vijay on March 10 for a fresh round of questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case. However, he has sought 15 days to appear before the agency, while citing political engagements.
According to sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought the presence of Karur MLA V Senthil Balaji, along with Vijay, before the investigation team on Monday; however, his staff had refused to accept the notice.
The agency then reportedly emailed him the notice asking him to be present for questioning in the case. However, they did not receive any response, the sources said.
Vijay was asked to appear before the CBI on March 10, however, the actor sent a formal request seeking another date after 15 days. The agency will now issue fresh summons to Vijay, they stated.
The politician also requested the agency to question him at its Chennai office or at any other office in Tamil Nadu. According to a PTI report, sources told them 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 clarification from the actor, the officials 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.
"The faith and trust of the general public in the process of investigation must be restored in the criminal justice system, and one way to instil such trust is by ensuring that the investigation in the present case is completely impartial, independent and unbiased," the bench said.
(With inputs from PTI)
