Telugu actor Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with the stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre last week in which one woman was killed. Shortly after he was taken into custody Mr Arjun filed a petition seeking to delay his arrest till Monday; the court hearing will take place at 2.30 pm.
Mr Arjun was taken from his Jubilee Hills home to the Chikkadpally Police Station. The actor’s father – well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind – and other family members were present when he was arrested.
Hyderabad Police had earlier filed a case against the 41-year-old star and several others, including members of his security team and the management of the Sandhya Theatre in the city.
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On December 11, he moved the Telangana High Court, seeking orders to quash the case.
Charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt were filed.
The investigation now will focus on two questions – did Mr Arjun have police permission to appear at the theatre that was holding a special showing of his ‘Pusha 2: The Rule‘, and did he have permission to interact with fans outside the theatre, which is in an area home to other cinema halls.
Pushpa 2 Stampede
The stampede broke after the hugely popular actor made an unscheduled appearance at the theatre showing his new film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule‘. A 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son was injured as the massive crowd jostled and shoved each other to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun on his unannounced arrival; Allu Arjun and the film’s music director, Devi Sr Prasad, arrived unexpectedly.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand had said then, “There was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors’ team… that they will be visiting the theatre…” and noted also that no separate entry, or exit, had been provided, even though the theatre knew they were coming.
According to the police, Mr Arjun arrived at the theatre at 9.30 pm. As news of his arrival – he used the main entrance and spent 15-20 minutes outside – spread, hundreds of people thronged to catch a glimpse of him. His security team started pushing the crowd back and that aggravated the situation.
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The woman, identified as Revathi, and her son felt “suffocated”, the police said. They were pulled out of the crowd by police who performed emergency first aid and shifted them to a nearby hospital.
Mr Arjun, by this time, had gone into the theatre, but the crowd had continued building in the lobby.
BRS Reacts
The actor’s arrest drew a scathing response from BRS leader KT Rama Rao – whose party was thumped by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in last year’s Telangana Assembly election – called police action against him “the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers!”
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“I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn’t directly responsible. There is always space for respect and dignified conduct. I strongly condemn high-handed behaviour of the government.”
“Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra…”
“Deeply Heartbroken”, Allu Arjun Said
Responding to the stampede and the woman’s death, Arjun later said on X, “Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident… My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time. I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally.”
READ | Allu Arjun Offers Rs 25 Lakh Aid To Family Of Woman Killed
Mr Arjun also announced assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the woman’s family, and also promised to take care of the medical expenses of the boy, whose condition was critical.
The tragic stampede sparked widespread criticism, with many calling for stricter regulations around celebrity events to prevent such tragedies.
With input from agencies
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