Actor Vijay has been summoned again by the CBI on January 19 in Delhi regarding the Karur stampede tragedy that claimed 41 lives. He reportedly told the agency his party was responsible. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear a plea for CBFC clearance for Vijay’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’ on January 15, amidst Kamal Haasan’s call for film certification reform.
Actor Vijay has been summoned once again by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He has been asked to appear on January 19 in Delhi. This is linked to the Karur stampede tragedy. Vijay was already questioned on the last day and it lasted for nearly six hours as reported by NDTV. Reports say that during the session Vijay told the Central agency that his party is responsible for the stampede. The tragic incident took 41 lives and shook many people.
What happened in the case so far
The investigation into the Karur stampede has moved from one place to another. At first, the Tamil Nadu government had appointed a one-member commission. Later, the Supreme Court said that more investigation was needed. The court scrapped the earlier commission.After this the case was transferred to the Central agency. The Supreme Court also said that the probe should be monitored by a panel led by a retired Supreme Court judge. Before this, the Madras High Court had formed a Special Investigation Team to look into how the tragedy happened.
Supreme Court hearing on ‘Jana Nayagan’
Vijay’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’ is also in the news. The Supreme Court will hear a plea on January 15. The plea is filed by the film’s producer, KVN Productions LLP. They are seeking CBFC clearance for the Tamil film. A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih will hear the case. This comes after a division bench of the Madras High Court stayed a single bench order that had asked the CBFC to clear the film.
Kamal Haasan speaks on certification
Actor Kamal Haasan reacted to the issue and spoke about film certification. He called for a “principled relook” at the process. He asked for “defined timelines for certification, transparent evaluation and written, reasoned justification for every suggested cut or edit.”In a post on X, Kamal said, “India’s Constitution guarantees ‘freedom of expression, guided by reason, never diminished by opacity. This moment is larger than any one film; it reflects the space we accord art and artists in a constitutional democracy. Cinema is not the labour of an individual alone, but the collective effort of an ecosystem of writers, technicians, performers, exhibitors and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on a fair and timely process.”He also said, “Such reform will safeguard creative freedom, uphold constitutional values and strengthen India’s democratic institutions by affirming trust in its artists and its people.”
