 "What is the Sandhya theatre stampede case in which ‘Pushpa 2’ actor Allu Arjun has been arrested?")
One week after a stampede at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during a screening of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ claimed the life of a woman and left a child critically injured, actor Allu Arjun has been arrested.
The stampede took place after the popular actor made an unannounced visit to the theatre for a premiere show.
ALSO READ | How Pushpa 2 film screening led to stampede in Hyderabad that killed 1 and injured a child
On Friday, Allu Arjun was taken from his Jubilee Hills residence to the Chikkadpally police station in connection with the incident. Allu Arjun told the court that police entered his bedroom around noon to arrest him. He was also taken for a medical checkup on Friday, as part of standard procedure.
His father, Allu Aravind, brother Allu Sirish, and father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy also reached the police station later.
#WATCH | Telangana: L Ramesh Kumar, ACP Chikkadpally says, "Yes, he (Actor Allu Arjun) has been arrested."
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024
Allu Arjun was brought to Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad for questioning in connection with the case of death of a woman at Sandhya theatre on December 4. pic.twitter.com/rrupOlnoWv
What is the Sandhya theatre stampede case?
On the night of December 4, fans of Allu Arjun gathered in large numbers at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre for the premiere of his film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’. Among the attendees was Revathi, a 35-year-old woman, who had come with her husband Bhaskar, their nine-year-old son, and their younger child. The stampede occurred as the family was leaving the theatre.
The chaos began when fans surged towards the venue, eager to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun. Tensions escalated after the actor’s security team allegedly used aggressive measures to control the crowd, causing people to fall. According to reports, Allu Arjun’s team entered the theatre through a densely packed area and broke the established crowd management protocols.
Visuals from the scene showed police resorting to a lathi charge to manage the uncontrollable crowd.
Revathi and her child were caught in the stampede and fell unconscious. Revathi was later pronounced dead, and her body was sent to Gandhi Hospital for a postmortem. Her son remains in critical condition at a super-speciality hospital.
Following the incident, the deceased’s family filed a complaint at Chikkadpally Police Station. A case was registered under Sections 105 and 118(1) along with 3(5) of the BNS Act.
Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav said: “According to the complaint, the theatre management, actor Allu Arjun, and his security team have been made accused… We have to identify who in his security team were present yesterday and who pushed people, creating this situation… Our deployment was there, and there is no lapse on the police’s part. Investigation is ongoing.”
ALSO READ | Why Allu Arjun has been charged for woman’s death during stampede at ‘Pushpa 2’ screening
Allu Arjun’s apology
Allu Arjun expressed deep sorrow in a video statement posted on X over the incident at Sandhya Theatre.
He wrote, “…While respecting their need for space to grieve, I stand committed to extend every possible assistance to help them navigate through this challenging journey.”
Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. 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. While respecting their need for… pic.twitter.com/g3CSQftucz
— Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) December 6, 2024
Allu Arjun announced that he would donate Rs 25 lakh to the family and cover all medical expenses for the injured. “We’d like to tell you that we are there for you. I’d like to donate an amount of Rs 25 lakhs. It’s just a goodwill gesture to secure their future,” he said in the video.
During the film’s success meet on December 7, he shared his emotional reaction, saying, “The incident that took place in the Sandhya theatre is very unfortunate… I’m shocked. It took me hours to process it and respond to the incident. I couldn’t process it psychologically. It took me around 10 hours. We all blanked out when we heard the news.”
The actor promised to meet the grieving family personally and assured them of his support. “We will always be there and try to support the family,” he said.
What are the charges against Allu Arjun? What’s next for him?
The actor was arrested at his residence on Friday morning and taken to the Chikkadpally police station for questioning. The charges against him include Section 118(1) and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Section 118(1) deals with punishment for voluntarily causing hurt or grievous harm, while Section 3(5) establishes joint criminal liability, making all those involved in the crime equally responsible.
Shortly after being taken into custody, Allu Arjun filed a petition seeking to delay his arrest until Monday. On December 11, he approached the Telangana High Court, seeking orders to quash the case.
#WATCH | Telangana: Actor Allu Arjun has been brought to Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad for questioning in connection with the case of death of a woman at Sandhya theatre on December 4.
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024
(Outside visuals from the police station) pic.twitter.com/aFfbKeMbCI
The probe will now focus on two key questions: whether Allu Arjun had police permission to appear at the theatre hosting the special screening of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, and whether he was authorised to interact with fans outside the theatre, which is located in an area with several other cinemas, according to a report by NDTV.
Notably, three people, including one of the owners of Sandhya Theatre, were arrested in connection with the stampede earlier this week. The accused were identified as M Sandeep (37), a co-owner of Sandhya Theatre; senior manager M Nagaraju (51); and lower balcony in-charge Gandhakam Vijay Chander (53), according to the police.
The actor’s arrest was strongly criticised by BRS leader KT Rama Rao, whose party was defeated by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in last year’s Telangana Assembly election. Rao called the police action “the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers!”
Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers!
— KTR (@KTRBRS) December 13, 2024
I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really?
Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn’t directly… pic.twitter.com/S1da96atYa
In a statement on X, the BRS leader wrote, “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 for. There is always space for respect and dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of the government.”
‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, one of the most anticipated films of the year, has been receiving overwhelming support from audiences. Also starring Rashmika Mandanna in the lead, the film has already crossed ₹1,000 crore at the box office.
With inputs from agencies
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