Allu Arjun arrested over woman's death in stampede at Pushpa 2 premiere

Allu Arjun was arrested over a stampede at the Pushpa 2 premiere in Hyderabad, which led to a woman's death and her son's hospitalisation

Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with a deadly stampede that occurred during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4. The incident resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman, identified as Revathi, and left her eight-year-old son hospitalised. Arjun was taken into custody on Friday and brought to Chikkadpally police station for questioning. 

#WATCH | Telangana: Actor Allu Arjun has been 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/pvBOkkc3JO

— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024

 

 

  The stampede unfolded when a massive crowd gathered at the theatre to see the actor. According to police reports, Telangana authorities were not informed in advance about Arjun’s presence at the screening. While the theatre management was aware of the actor’s arrival, they failed to notify the police. This lapse prevented additional security measures from being deployed to manage the crowd.

 

The chaos was compounded by the absence of a separate entry and exit for the audience, leading to overcrowding. The stampede occurred as fans surged forward to catch a glimpse of Arjun, pushing past one another, which ultimately resulted in the fatal incident.

 

Legal proceedings and compensation

 

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the police filed an FIR on December 5 against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the Sandhya Theatre management.

 

Deputy Commissioner of Police Akshansh Yadav stated that the case was registered under sections of culpable homicide and voluntarily causing hurt, based on a complaint from the victim’s family. Investigations into the events leading up to the incident are ongoing.

 

On December 12, Arjun approached the Telangana High Court seeking the cancellation of the FIR filed against him. The actor denied any wrongdoing and sought legal relief. In a move to support the grieving family, Arjun announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family of the deceased.