Actor-politician Vijay has sought a 15-day extension to appear before the CBI for questioning in the Karur stampede case, citing political engagements, officials said on Monday.
The agency will now issue fresh summons to Vijay, they said.
The 2025 rally killed 41 people, and investigators are continuing their probe into possible lapses in crowd management and event planning.
According to officials, Vijay informed the investigators that he would be unable to attend the scheduled questioning due to prior political commitments.
He has therefore sought additional time and requested that the CBI allow him to appear after 15 days. The agency is expected to issue fresh summons with a new date for his appearance.
The probe relates to the tragic Karur stampede that occurred on September 27, 2025, during a political rally organised by Vijay’s party in Karur district of Tamil Nadu. The crowd crush claimed the lives of at least 41 people and left dozens injured, making it one of the most devastating political rally tragedies in recent years.
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.
According to news agency PTI, 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.
Investigators are examining the circumstances that led to the deadly incident, including crowd management arrangements, security measures and possible lapses in planning at the event.
Authorities believe further clarification from Vijay could help establish key details surrounding the rally and the events leading up to the stampede.
This is not the first time the actor has been questioned in the case. Vijay had earlier appeared before the CBI in January for two rounds of interrogation as part of the ongoing probe. Officials stated that the latest summons was issued because investigators have gathered additional evidence that requires further clarification from him.
The Karur tragedy triggered widespread political debate and calls for accountability, with several leaders demanding a thorough and impartial investigation.
Vijay later offered his condolences via social media. He said, “I express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of my dear brothers and sisters who lost their lives in Karur. I pray for a speedy recovery for those undergoing treatment in hospital.”
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 PTI inputs)
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