Allu Arjun spent a night in jail in connection with the death of a woman in the Sandhya Theatre stampede.
New Delhi:
Actor Allu Arjun, following his release from jail on Saturday, said he is a law-abiding citizen and will cooperate in the probe into the ‘Pushpa 2’ screening stampede in Hyderabad that killed a woman and seriously injured a child.
“I want to thank all my fans. There is nothing to worry about. I would like to once again express my condolences to the family. It was an unfortunate incident. We are sorry for what happened,” he said.
Allu Arjun spent a night in Chanchalguda prison in connection with the death of a woman in the stampede on December 4 at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre. He was not released despite a Telangana High Court granting him bail as the authorities had not received a copy of the bail order until late last night.
“You should question the government and the department why they have not released the accused. The High Court order is very specific. Forthwith, the moment you (prison authorities) receive the order, ( they should) release him. Despite the clear order, they have not released, they have to answer. This is an illegal detention. We will take legal steps,” the actor’s counsel Ashok Reddy said.
Hours after Allu Arjun’s arrest, the victim’s husband said that he was ready to withdraw the case. “I am ready to withdraw the case. I was not aware of the arrest. Allu Arjun has nothing to do with the stampede in which my wife passed away,” he said.
What Happened On December 4?
A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son was hospitalised during a stampede when thousands of fans jostled to have a glimpse of the actor at the premiere of the blockbuster ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
What Are The Charges?
Following the incident, the city police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under different sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint lodged by the woman’s family.
Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2’ co-star Rashmika Mandanna reacted to his arrest saying that it is “disheartening to see everything being blamed on a single individual”.
Meanwhile, actor Varun Dhawan said, “Safety protocols can’t be solely the responsibility of an actor. We can inform people around us. The incident was tragic and I express my condolences, but blame can’t be placed on just one person.”
