The Central Bureau of Investigation is expected to issue a summons to John Arokiyasamy, adviser and chief strategist of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay, to appear for questioning, sources said.
The development comes in connection with the Karur tragedy that occurred on September 27 last year, when severe overcrowding at a public meeting attended by Vijay led to the deaths of 41 people. The CBI is investigating the incident, with the probe being monitored by a Supreme Court-appointed committee comprising retired Justice Ajay Rastogi and senior IPS officers Sumit Sharan and Sonal Mishra. According to officials, the investigation has now reached its final stages.
On 12 January 2026, CBI officials questioned Vijay at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi for about seven hours. Senior Tamil Nadu police officers Davidson Devasirvatham and Joshi Nirmal Kumar were also examined during the same session.
As further questioning of Vijay is required, the CBI has issued a summons asking him to appear again on 19 January 2026. He is expected to comply and present himself for continued interrogation.
Following this, CBI sources said a decision has been taken to summon John Arokiyasamy as well. As reported in Dinamalar, Arokiyasamy played a key role in planning Vijay’s campaign tours and public meetings across several districts in Tamil Nadu, based on a strategy he designed.
The sources further stated that, during the Karur event, instructions were allegedly given to party functionaries and the vehicle driver to move beyond the location permitted by the police and park the vehicle at a distance before Vijay addressed the crowd. The reasoning cited was that if Vijay spoke from the police-approved spot, opposition from protesters gathered at the venue could escalate into stone-throwing towards the vehicle.
CBI officials are now seeking to ascertain how John Arokiyasamy received information suggesting the possibility of stone-pelting, who provided him with such information, and the credibility of that input. Statements made earlier by TVK members who were questioned as part of the probe reportedly indicated that the decision to move and park the vehicle away from the permitted location was taken on Arokiyasamy’s instructions.
Based on these aspects, the CBI has decided to call John Arokiyasamy for questioning and is expected to issue a summons to him shortly, the sources added.
Source: Dinamalar
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