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    TVK chief Vijay postpones Karur visit as CBI probe begins into stampede tragedy
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    TVK chief Vijay had planned a low-key visit to a private marriage hall in Karur to personally console the bereaved families— a gesture delayed for "several weeks" post the incident due to logistical and emotional sensitivities. File photo

    TVK chief Vijay postpones Karur visit as CBI begins probe into stampede

    TVK chief defers meeting with victims' kin to avoid obstructing CBI team, led by IPS officer Praveen Kumar, to investigate the stampede arrived in Karur today

    Mahalingam Ponnusamy
    17 Oct 2025 1:19 PM IST  (Updated:2025-10-17 09:10:06)

    Actor-turned-politician and Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay has temporarily postponed his much-awaited planned visit to Karur on today (Friday, October 17), where he was to meet the kin of the victims who died in a tragic stampede which occurred at his campaign rally on September 27.

    The decision comes just hours after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, ordered by the Supreme Court to probe the incident that claimed 41 lives, arrived in Karur district to begin its inquiry.

    Notably, the SC probe is monitored by a commission led by Justice Ajay Rastogi, a retired SC judge.

    CBI begins probe

    Leading the probe is IPS officer Praveen Kumar from the Gujarat cadre, a seasoned investigator with expertise in high-profile cases.

    CBI's additional deputy superintendent of police Mukesh Kumar and deputy superintendent of police Ramakrishnan are accompanying Kumar in his investigations. The team touched down in Karur earlier this morning, signalling the start of a comprehensive examination of evidence, including witness statements, analysis of venue layouts, and a detailed review of the security footage.

    Also read: Karur stampede: As SC raps HC for critiquing Vijay, TVK says ‘we never fled scene’

    Sources indicated that the inquiry will also focus on the systemic failures in crowd control, permissions granted by Tamil Nadu police, and any acts of negligence by TVK volunteers.

    Low-key visit deferred

    The probe's timing, however, clashed directly with Vijay's scheduled itinerary, said sources.

    The actor had planned a low-key visit to a private marriage hall in Karur to personally console the bereaved families— a gesture delayed for "several weeks" post the incident due to logistical and emotional sensitivities. TVK had formally sought and received a nod from the state police for the trip, underscoring the party's commitment to "zero tolerance crowd management" as a reformative step.
    Prioritising the probe, TVK spokespersons confirmed the abrupt cancellation late on Thursday, attributing it squarely to the CBI's presence.

    "The CBI team will be camped in Karur today and tomorrow. We don't want the leader's visit to complicate the investigation in any way, nor cause any unintended disruptions during their fieldwork," a senior party administrator told reporters on condition of anonymity.

    "Our priority is to ensure a fair and unobstructed probe—truth must emerge without hurdles," the administrator added.

    Wait-and-watch mode

    The deferral has left TVK cadres, who appeared somewhat relieved by the Supreme Court's intervention, in a wait-and-watch mode. "We're hopeful the inquiry under a retired judge's supervision will bring out the facts. Our leader will visit as soon as it's feasible," the administrator added, urging affected families to be patient.
    The stampede occurred on September 27, during a massive public rally organised by Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party in Karur, a key southern Tamil Nadu town.
    What was intended as an electrifying election-style address for the party's fledgling political outreach in anticipation of next year's assembly election, spiralled into chaos amid overwhelming crowds, poor crowd management, and logistical lapses, resulting in the suffocation and people getting trampled. 41 people, including women and children, died in the tragedy.
    The Supreme Court's order directing a CBI inquiry underscored the gravity of the lapses, potentially implicating local police, event organisers, and party functionaries.
    Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)Actor VijayKarurCBI probe
    Mahalingam Ponnusamy
    About the AuthorMahalingam Ponnusamy
    Mahalingam Ponnusamy is Editor - Special Projects with The Federal.
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