New Delhi: Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday in connection with a stampede during the premiere of his film “Pushpa 2: The Rule” at Sandia Theater in Hyderabad. The December 4 incident resulted in the death of Revathi, a 35-year-old woman, and injuries to her son. Since then, allegations of crowd mismanagement and negligence have surfaced, and the cast and others have faced legal action.
What we know so far
December 4, 2024: Stampede
- The stampede occurred during the premiere of Pushpa 2 when Allu Arjun appeared at the Sandhya Theatre, leading to an unmanaged crowd.
- Revathi, a 35-year-old woman, died in the chaos and her son was injured.
- Police said inadequate crowd control and mismanagement were the main reasons.
preliminary arrest
- Three people, including theater partners, were arrested for negligence.
- Police highlighted the lack of proper security arrangements and no separate entry and exit points for the cast.
December 13, 2024: Allu Arjun arrested
- A police team took Allu Arjun into custody from his home in Hyderabad.
- He was subsequently sentenced to 14 days of judicial custody by a Telangana court.
- The police registered a case under Sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Actor’s legal response
Allu Arjun is at Telangana High Court quash the FIR and seek stay of all legal proceedings.
police statement
Authorities criticized theater management for failing to put in place additional crowd control provisions. “The theater management did not make any additional provisions regarding security… despite the fact that the theater management had information about their arrival,” police said.
Allegations against Allu Arjun
Based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s family, the police have registered a case at Chikkadpally police station under Section 105 (manslaughter not amounting to murder) and Section 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Apart from Allu Arjun, his security team and theater management were also named.
