Telugu actor Allu Arjun walked out of jail on Saturday morning, a day after he was arrested in connection with the stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre screening ‘Pushpa 2’ earlier this month in which one woman died. The actor left the jail premises from the back gate with his father Allu Aravind and father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy – who had come to receive him, officials said.

Upon his release, Allu Arjun’s lawyer Ashok Reddy said that the actor’s arrest was an “illegal detention” as the jail authorities did not release him despite receiving an order copy from the Telangana High Court yesterday.

“They received an order copy from the High Court but despite that, they didn’t release him…They will have to answer. This is an illegal detention. We will take legal action…As of now, he has been released,” he said.

Allu Arjun was arrested from his house in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad on Friday, hours after he returned from Delhi after attending the success meet of ‘Pushpa 2’. A lower court had remanded him to 14-day judicial custody. However, shortly after, the Telangana High Court granted interim bail for four weeks.

For regular bail, the actor was told to approach the Nampally court.

‘Pushpa 2’ Stampede Case

On December 4, a stampede broke out at a theatre in Hyderabad screening Allu Arjun-starrer ‘Pushpa 2’ when the actor made what the police called an “unscheduled” visit to the auditorium. During the incident, one woman was killed and her son was injured.

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 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, officials said.

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

However, hours after Allu Arjun was arrested in the case yesterday, the victim’s husband defended the actor and 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.

Reactions pour in on Allu Arjun’s arrest

Several politicians and people from the film industry came in support of Allu Arjun and slammed his arrest.

BRS leader KT Rama Rao hit out at the Congress government in Telangana, calling the action against the actor a “pinnacle of insecurity of rulers”.

“I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun 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,” he said.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called the stampede incident a “poor arrangement by the state and local administration”. According to him, Congress has “no respect” for the creative industry.

“…The arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again. The mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity stunts. The Telangana Government should assist those affected and punish those making the arrangements that day instead of continuously attacking film personalities,” he wrote on X.

Hyderabad:

Telugu actor Allu Arjun’s bail hearing in the Telangana High Court – after his arrest Friday in the ‘Pushpa 2‘ stampede case – featured a parallel to a similarly tragic incident involving Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and his film ‘Raees‘, in which also one person died.

Arguing for bail for his client, Allu Arjun’s lawyer recalled the ‘Raees‘ stampede and argued the main question before the court was “… is somebody doing a rash or negligent act?” In that context he spoke about the stampede involving SRK, and said the Bollywood actor “threw clothes at the station, which led to a stampede”. In that case he was not found criminally liable, Mr Arjun’s lawyer said.

It was also argued that Allu Arjun was on the first floor of Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre when the stampede occurred on the ground floor. And the lawyer also rubbished claims by the police that they had not been informed of the actor’s plan to attend a special screening of his film.

“The actor was coming… everybody knew that. Even the police knew. Here the actor was not even doing anything whereas, in SRK’s case, the actor threw balls and crowds jumped to grab them.”

The court eventually ruled in favour of Mr Arjun, granting him interim bail for four weeks. The court observed that Allu Arjun’s status as a hugely popular actor could not compromise his right to liberty.

READ | “Just Because He’s An Actor…”: Court Grants Bail To Allu Arjun

“… just because he is an actor… he cannot be held like this,” the High Court said.

The ‘Raees‘ stampede took place at the railway station in Gujarat’s Vadodara in 2017.

The actor and his production team were travelling from Mumbai to Delhi to promote the film.

When the train stopped in Vadodara, Mr Khan tried to interact with his fans; he threw t-shirt and ‘smiley balls’ at the crowd, and it was argued that this led to the stampede.

READ | Shah Rukh Khan Gets Relief By Supreme Court In 2017 Stampede Case

In April 2022 the Gujarat High Court ordered the quashing of the criminal case against SRK. Later that year the High Court’s ruling was challenged in the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict.

Pushpa 2 Stampede

The stampede broke after the actor made what police said was an unscheduled appearance at the theatre showing his film. A 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son was injured as the crowd jostled and shoved each other to catch a glimpse of Mr Arjun.

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 started pushing the crowd back and that aggravated the situation.

READ | “Son Wanted To Watch Pushpa 2”: Man Whose Wife Was Killed

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.

However, Mr Arjun’s office and the theatre officials have insisted the cops had, in fact, been informed.

And, hours after his arrest, a copy of just such a letter was released, in which the police were told of plans for the film’s stars, Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandana, to visit the theatre at 9.30 pm.

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Hyderabad:

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.

READ | Viral Video Shows ‘Pushpa 2‘ Star Allu Arjun’s Arrest By Police

#WATCH | Telangana: L Ramesh Kumar, ACP Chikkadpally says, “Yes, he (Actor Allu Arjun) has been arrested.”

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

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024

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.

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.

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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Telugu actor Allu Arjun will be charged for the stampede that erupted outside a Hyderabad theatre and left one woman dead on Wednesday, after he arrived without prior intimation for the premiere show of his movie “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, police said on Thursday.

Besides the actor, the management of Sandhya Theatre will also be charged for not making any “additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd”. 

There was no immediate reaction either from Mr Arjun nor the theatre management till the time of filing this report. 

In a statement, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said “there was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors team that they will be visiting the theatre…”

The top cop said there was no separate entry or exit for the actor and his team, even though the theatre management was aware of their arrival. 

A 35-year-old woman died and her nine-year-son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as a huge crowd jostled at the film theatre to catch a glimpse of Mr Arjun, who arrived with music director Devi Sri Prasad for the screening on Wednesday evening.

Police said that as a heavy crowd rushed ahead, the theatre’s main gate collapsed, prompting the security personnel to resort to lathi charge to control the mob. Despite efforts to maintain order, the stampede turned fatal.

The woman was identified as Revathi and her son was identified as Teja. Teja is believed to be in a critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment. The family has demanded accountability from the threatre management, and sought a response from the actor on the incident. They have also demanded that Mr Arjun provide them with support. 

Police said a case has been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the basis of a complaint by the woman’s family. “Stringent action as per law will be taken against all the persons responsible for the chaotic situation inside the theatre leading to the death of a person and injury to others,” the top cop said.

Hyderabad:

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 Wednesday evening, police said. 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.

Chaos erupted outside the theatre when fans surged to see the actor, who had arrived with music director Devi Sri Prasad for the screening. According to police, the theatre’s main gate collapsed under the pressure of the crowd.

The police resorted to lathi charge to control the mob. Despite efforts to maintain order, the stampede turned fatal. The injured boy was rushed to a private hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

According to the police, thousands had gathered at the theatre not only to watch the film but also to see members of the film’s production team. Additional police reinforcements were called in to prevent further escalation.

‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, directed by Sukumar is a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ and is scheduled for release across 10,000 screens in multiple languages. Plans for a 3D version were scrapped due to delays in post-production, although screenings are set to proceed in 2D and 4DX formats.

The film stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, with Fahadh Faasil reprising his role. Amid the hype, ticket prices were hiked in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, sparking petitions in courts. The Telangana High Court allowed the release to proceed despite objections.