Hyderabad:
Unseen footage from Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre – where a stampede December 4, as actor Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rise‘ was being screened, killed a young mother and critically injured her eight-year-old child – shows the confusion and chaos that prevailed that night.
The 14-second clip doesn’t have audio but shows a crowd pushing and shoving as they funnel through a doorway. The metal gates on either side are literally torn from their hinges. The ground is littered with pieces of paper and plastic water bottles stomped on by the surging mob.
The timestamp on the video is around 9.15 pm, which is 15 minutes before Allu Arjun arrived – unannounced, according to the police – at the theatre. News of the actor’s arrival, the cops have alleged, led to the stampede as adoring fans fell over each other to get a glimpse of the actor.
In the crush that followed Revathi, 35, was killed and her eight-year-old son, Sri Tej, was left critically injured. Mr Arjun, 41, was arrested nine days after the tragic incident.
A lower court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days but, in a cinema-like twist, a few hours later the Telangana High Court granted interim bail, underscoring the actor’s right to liberty.
Mr Arjun spent the night in jail anyway because the court’s order came late.
Out on bail, the actor was summoned today to join the police investigation. He did so, appearing at the city’s Chikkadpally Police Station for a nearly four-hour question session.
Among the questions thrown at him by the police were:
- Did you know police permission had been denied for you to come to the premiere?
- Who took the call to proceed with the plan (for the actor to attend the special screening) despite denial of police permission?
- Did any police officer inform you about the stampede outside?
- When did you know about the death of the woman?
READ | “Did You Know…”: What Cops Asked Allu Arjun In ‘Pushpa 2’ Stampede Case
The actor and his security team, and the theatre owner, general and security managers have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
On his part, Allu Arjun has rejected allegations he was responsible for the stampede and the death of the woman. On Saturday, he told reporters the incident was “very unfortunate” and criticised what he called “misinformation” and “character assassination” against him.
READ | “Misinformation, Character Assassination”: Actor Allu Arjun On Stampede Row
Public sentiment, though, has been divided; on Sunday there was a protest outside his home.
A mob barged in and vandalised parts of the compound; they broke flower pots and threw tomatoes at the building. The protesters, reportedly university students, also shouted slogans till they were ejected.
