Hyderabad (Telangana):

The boy injured in the Sandhya theatre incident during the premiere of Pushpa 2 in Telangana’s Hyderabad has responded after 20 days, his father said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Bhaskar, the father of the injured child, expressed gratitude for the support they are receiving. “The child responded after 20 days… he is responding today. Allu Arjun and the Telangana government are supporting us,” he said.

Earlier in the day, actor Allu Arjun was questioned by Hyderabad police in connection with the tragic incident that occurred during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2 on December 4.

The controversy stems from an incident on December 4, when Allu Arjun attended the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at the Sandhya Theatre.

A massive crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor, and chaos ensued when he waved to fans from the sunroof of his car. This led to the tragic death of a woman named Revathi and injuries to her child.

Following the incident, Allu Arjun was arrested and later released on bail after furnishing a Rs 50,000 bond.

In the latest development, Pushpa 2 producers Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar handed over a 50 lakh cheque to Revathi’s family in the presence of Telangana Minister for Roads & Buildings and Cinematography, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, at KIMS Hospital, Hyderabad. The cheque was received by Revathi’s husband, the father of Sri Tej, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Producer Naveen Yerneni stated, “This is a very unfortunate incident. We have been deeply saddened since the day it happened. We cannot express our feelings. Revathi’s death is a significant loss for the family. We visited the boy in the hospital, and he is recovering. The doctors are doing their best. We want to support the family, and this cheque is part of that effort.”

The incident has sparked political controversy, with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy blaming Allu Arjun for the tragedy. Addressing the Assembly, Reddy revealed that police had denied permission for any event at Sandhya Theatre due to safety concerns.

“On December 2, Sanadhya theatre owners requested arrangements for the cast and crew of Pushpa 2 to attend the premiere at Sandhya Theatre on December 4,” Reddy said.

“However, on December 3, the Chikkadpally Circle Inspector rejected the request in writing, citing the theatre’s location in a congested area with only one entry and exit point, making it difficult to ensure safety. Despite this, the actor attended the event, climbed onto his car roof, and conducted a roadshow, worsening the situation,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Telugu actor Allu Arjun on Sunday said that he was “deeply” concerned about the boy who was critically injured during the stampede at a Hyderabad theatre screening the film ‘Pushpa 2’ earlier this month. According to the actor, he cannot meet the boy, whose mother died in the stampede, due to legal proceedings.

“I remain deeply concerned about young Sri Tej, who is under constant medical care after the unfortunate incident. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, I have been advised not to visit him and his family at this time. My prayers remain with them and I remain committed to taking responsibility for addressing the medical and family needs,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

He also wished the boy a speedy recovery, adding that he looked forward to meeting him.

“I wish him a speedy recovery, and I look forward to meeting him and his family at the earliest,” he wrote.

The actor’s comment came two days after he was slammed online for “celebrating” his bail as pictures of his happy faces while meeting his friends and family went viral.

Allu Arjun was granted bail for four weeks on Saturday, a day after he spent the night in jail in connection with the ‘Pushpa 2’ screening stampede case. As the actor returned home, several top celebrities including Naga Chaitanya, Rana Daggubati, and Vijay Deverekonda met him at his Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad.

‘Pushpa 2’ screening stampede case 

On December 4, a stampede broke out at a theatre in Hyderabad screening ‘Pushpa 2’ when Allu Arjun made what the police called an “unscheduled” visit to the auditorium. A woman was killed and her son, Sri Tej, was injured. According to a private hospital where the boy is undergoing treatment, he is currently in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit on ventilatory support with minimal requirements.

“He is hemodynamically stable and tolerating tube feedings. But he has an intermittent fever and is still in altered sensorium and has dystonic movements,” the hospital said.

Following the incident, the Hyderabad police had registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the management of the theatre, based on a complaint filed by the victim’s husband. According to the police, there was no intimation from the theatre management or the actor’s team that they would be visiting the theatre.

The theatre owner, general manager, and security manager were arrested on December 8.

New Delhi:

Telugu actor Allu Arjun has been arrested by the police in connection with the death of a woman during the premiere of his latest movie ‘Pushpa 2: The Rise’.

A 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son was seriously injured during the premiere of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ at a theatre in Hyderabad on December 4.

The incident took place at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre as massive crowds thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the film’s lead actor, Allu Arjun.

What are the charges against Allu Arjun

Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre.

The case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 on a complaint by the woman’s husband. The police arrested the theatre owner, general manager and security manager on December 8.

On December 11, the actor approached the Telangana High Court, seeking orders to quash the First Information Report (FIR).

According to police, there was no intimation from theatre management or the actor’s team that they would be visiting the theatre. The theatre management also did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd.

Allu Arjun on December 6 announced an assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the woman’s family and said that he is “deeply heartbroken”.

The actor assured the grieving family that he would meet them personally and extend every possible assistance.

Allu Arjun also promised to take care of the medical expenses of the boy, whose condition remained critical.

“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 space to grieve, I stand committed to extending every possible assistance to help them navigate through this challenging journey,” Allu Arjun posted on social media platform X.