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.

Was there a gross misuse of power by the Telangana government in arresting Telugu superstar Allu Arjun in connection with the death of woman at the premiere of his ‘Pushpa 2’ movie? 34% of the people or 843 out of 2,502 people answered in the affirmative in an interactive voice response-based survey commissioned by NDTV and conducted by Prashnam.ai.

A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son was hospitalised on December 4 during a stampede-like situation at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad when thousands of fans jostled to have a glimpse of the 41-year-old actor at the premiere of the ‘Pushpa 2 : The Rule’, which is a sequel to 2021’s blockbuster film “Pushpa: The Rise”.

Thirty three percent or 841 out the 2,502 people surveyed said the police action in the matter was legitimate, while 14% said ‘Can’t Say’, another 19% said they ‘Did Not Wish To Answer’.

Following the incident, the city police registered a case against the national award winner actor, 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 victim’s family.

The incident unfolded as the actor arrived at the venue for the film’s screening, attracting a large and excited crowd eager to catch a glimpse of him. The situation reportedly spiralled out of control when Allu Arjun waved to the crowd from the sunroof of his vehicle.

Authorities claim that this provoked the crowd, resulting in a stampede-like situation. Police allege that the actor’s actions, combined with the pushing of the crowd by his security team to clear a path for the vehicle, led to the fatal accident.

According to police, despite being warned about the large gathering and potential risks, Allu Arjun’s team failed to take immediate action.

Did the government shirk its responsibility in crowd management? 41% or 594 people out of 1,427 surveyed said ‘Yes’. 32% or 453 people said ‘No’, while 15% said ‘Can’t say’ and 12% said they ‘Did Not Wish To Answer’.

The high-profile arrest also triggered a political slugfest with the BJP and BRS lashing out at the ruling Congress in Telangana, questioning the treatment meted out to the star. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has defended the actor’s arrest, saying that the “law applies equally to all citizens, irrespective of their status”.

“Nobody is talking about the woman who died or about her son who is in coma. He won’t have mother when he wakes up from coma,” said Mr Reddy, while speaking at a media event.

“A movie star or a political star, our government doesn’t care. We only care about who committed the crime. A woman died in the incident. Who is responsible for this,” the Chief Minister asked.

Arrested on Friday, Allu Arjun secured a bail and was released on Saturday morning. The actor, however, had to spend a night in jail. Upon his release from jail, the actor thanked his fans and expressed his condolences to the victim’s family. “It was an unfortunate incident. We are sorry for what happened,” he said.

Forty percent or 459 out of 1,160 surveyed said the Telangana government acted in haste in arresting the superstar. Asked if the state government was right in taking such an action, 41% or 472 people answered in the affirmative, while 14% said ‘Can’t Say’ and another 8% said they ‘Did Not Wish To Answer’.

Reacting to the arrest, BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, said the actor deserved better treatment, while BRS Working President KT Rama Rao slammed the state government for treating the star like a “common criminal”.

Adding a twist to the case, the victim’s husband said he doesn’t find fault with the actor for the tragedy and was ready to withdraw his case over the incident.

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.”

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.

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan has come out in support of Telugu actor Allu Arjun after he was arrested in connection with the Sandhya theater stampede case in which one woman died. While promoting his film, Varun Dhawan said “blame can’t be placed on just one person.”

“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,” he said.

#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan | On the arrest of actor Allu Arjun over the death of a woman in Sandhya theatre, actor Varun Dhawan says, “The actor cannot take the sole responsibility of the safety protocols. You can only tell the people around you…The incident was tragic. I… pic.twitter.com/mGYzgQbflt

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024

Reportedly, actor and former minister Konidela Chiranjeevi cancelled his shoot for Vishwabhara and visited Allu Arjun’s house to express solidarity.

For the unaccustomed, on December 4, Allu Arjun and music director Devi Sr Prasad made a surprise visit to the Sandhya theatre during the screening of his movie ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’. A stampede broke as people rushed to catch a glimpse of the megastar. A 35-year-old woman named Revathi died while her nine-year-old son suffered injuries in the stampede.

The Hyderabad Police registered a case against the actor, his security team and the theater management, basis a complaint by the victim’s family.

Allu Arjun has been charged by the Hyderabad Police with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt.

The actor was arrested this morning from his house in Jubilee Hills and taken to the Chikkadpally Police Station. The actor’s father – well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind – and other family members were present at the time of the arrest.

According to the Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand, there was no intimation from the theatre management or the actors’ team that they would be visiting. The unscheduled visit and lack of security arrangements lead to the stampede.

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.

Hyderabad:

Telugu superstar Allu Arjun was arrested this morning in a stampede case at a Hyderabad theatre that saw the death of a woman. A viral video has emerged showing a cop escorting the ‘Pushpa 2’ actor in an elevator. In another video, Mr Arjun is seen in the parking plot of his Jubilee Hills home, surrounded by cops and others. He boards a police car and it takes him away to the Chikkadpally Police Station. His father and well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind and other family members were also present when he was arrested.

Mr Arjun has been charged by the Hyderabad Police with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt over the stampede at Sandhya Theatre. Besides him, members of his security team and the management of the Sandhya Theatre have also been charged in the stampede case.

The stampede broke out on December 4 as people rushed to catch a glimpse of the hugely popular actor when he and the film’s music director Devi Sr Prasad made an unscheduled visit to the theatre during the screening of his movie ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’. A 35-year-old woman named Revathi died and her nine-year-old son was injured in the stampede.

There was no intimation from the theatre management or the actors’ team that they would be visiting, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand had said then.

Allu Arjun had said he was deeply heartbroken by the woman’s death in the stampede and assured the grieving family he would meet them personally.

The 41-year-old actor has sought the Telangana High Court to quash the case. After his detention today, he approached the court to put off his arrest till Monday.

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.