Karur tragedy: Actor Vijay likely to be named accused; CBI chargesheet next month

New Delhi: Reports suggest that actor Vijay, who is also the president of the Tamil Nadu political outfit Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), is likely to be named an accused in the Karur stampede case. The CBI is expected to file the chargesheet by the second week of February. Vijay has been summoned to the CBI headquarters in Delhi for a second round of questioning on Monday. Indications are that he may face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Sources also indicate that two senior police officers, including an ADGP of the Tamil Nadu Police, are likely to be arraigned as accused. The chargesheet is expected to invoke Sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. During the first round of questioning on January 12, the CBI had asked Vijay around 90 questions. The current round aims to clarify certain points.

The CBI is conducting a detailed probe into the circumstances that led to the tragedy. The agency is primarily seeking clarity on the following:

• Why did Vijay reach the venue more than seven hours later than originally scheduled
• Why was the speech continued despite the heavy crowd and emerging safety concerns
• What steps did Vijay take, both as a party president and as a major film star, to disperse the crowd and ease the congestion?
• Why did he immediately return to Chennai after the incident?

The CBI has already recorded statements from senior police officers, including ADGP Davidson Devasirvatham, who was in charge of law and order on the day. The agency is now reportedly cross-checking these accounts with the statements given by Vijay.

The questioning of Vijay has triggered intense political debate in Tamil Nadu, with criticism that the interrogation is a pressure tactic. Although Vijay has currently been summoned only as a witness, he is likely to be named in the accused list when the chargesheet is filed.