TVK chief Vijay appears before CBI for questioning in Karur stampede case
New Delhi/Chennai (PTI): TVK chief and actor Vijay appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday for questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case, officials said.
The Tamil superstar reached the heavily barricaded CBI headquarters here at 11.29 am in a black Range Rover.
After completion of the necessary formalities, he was taken to the team in the Anti-Corruption unit of the agency that is investigating the September 27, 2025, stampede, which claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 injured in Tamil Nadu's Karur.
Anticipating a huge turnout of the actor-politician's supporters, multiple units of Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed around the CBI office building to prevent any protests.
ALSO READ: Karur stampede case: TVK chief Vijay leaves for Delhi for CBI probe
A small group of fans managed to slip in among the mediapersons gathered outside the CBI office to get a glimpse of the actor.
"We are all based in Delhi. We are around 40 fans who have come here to get a glimpse of the actor. We are all big fans of the star," Aiyanar, one of the fans who works as an operations manager with a Noida-based MNC, told PTI.
Vijay left for Delhi from Chennai at 7 am on a chartered flight with some of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) colleagues, including Aadhav Arjuna, party sources said.
The CBI has also questioned several TVK office bearers in the case.
According to the officials, the CBI has also summoned Tamil Nadu's former ADG, law and order, S Davidson Devasirvatham in the case.
The federal agency took over the case from an SIT following a Supreme Court order and has been gathering evidence related to the stampede.
In October last year, the apex court asked the CBI director to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation.
The court also set up a three-member supervisory committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the CBI probe.
ALSO READ: Vijay to appear before CBI in Delhi on Jan 12 over Karur case, party seeks security
A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria said the stampede has left an imprint in the minds of citizens throughout the country.
It has wide ramifications with respect to the life of citizens and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kin is of utmost importance, the court said.
Noting the political undertones of the case, the court said top police officers have made comments before the media "without having regard for the gravity of the incident", which may create a doubt in the minds of the citizenry regarding an impartial and fair investigation.
"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.
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SC slams freebies culture, says states should open avenues for employment
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the freebies culture, saying it was high time to revisit such policies that hamper the country's economic development.
Taking note of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd's plea, which proposed to provide free electricity to all irrespective of financial status of consumers, the top court said it was quite understandable if states hand-hold the poor.
“Most of the states in the country are revenue deficit states and yet they are offering such freebies” overlooking development, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said.
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The bench said economic development of the nation gets hampered with this kind of largesse distribution and states should work to open avenues for employment instead of giving free food, cycles, electricity to all.
The top court, however, issued notice to Centre and others on the plea of the DMK government-led power distribution firm which proposes to provide free electricity.
The power firm has challenged a rule of the Electricity Amendment Rules, 2024.
“What kind of culture are we developing in India? It is understandable that as part of the welfare measure you want to provide to those who are incapable of pay the electricity charges,” the bench asked.
“But without drawing a distinction between those who can afford and those who cannot, you start distributing. Will it not amount to an appeasing policy,” the CJI asked.
The bench asked as to why the Tamil Nadu firm suddenly decided to loosen the purse strings after the electricity tariff was notified.
“The states should work to open avenues for employment. If you start giving free food from morning to evening then free cycle, then free electricity then who will work and then what will happen to the work culture,” the CJI said.
The bench said states, instead of spending on development projects, do two jobs - paying salaries and distributing such largesse.
