Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested Friday afternoon in relation to the stampede in a Hyderabad theater last week that killed a lady and injured her nine-year-old kid, and he was sentenced to 14 days in jail. Additionally, the judge rejected the actor’s request to postpone his detention until Monday.
Allu Arjun stated that the police had followed him into his bedroom in order to take him into prison after he was brought from his Jubilee Hills residence to the Chikkadpally Police Station earlier today. At the time of his detention, the actor’s father, renowned director Allu Arvind, and other family members were present.
A case had already been filed by Hyderabad Police against the 41-year-old celebrity and a number of other people, including the administration of the city’s Sandhya Theatre and members of his security detail.
The charges were culpable homicide not amounting to murder and intentionally causing harm.
According to the complaint, which was made by the woman’s husband, the actor and theater management failed to notify the police of the woman’s intention to see the movie at the theater.
Officials from the theater and Mr. Arjun’s office, however, have maintained that the police were indeed notified.
A copy of this letter, which informed the police of the film’s stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandana’s plans to visit the theater at 9.30 p.m., was also made public hours after his detention.
He petitioned the Telangana High Court for directions to dismiss the matter on December 11.
Two questions will now be the focus of the investigation: did Mr. Arjun have permission from the police to attend the theater that was hosting a special screening of his “Pusha 2: The Rule”? Additionally, did he have permission to speak with fans outside the theater, which is located near other movie theaters?
Case Withdrawn?
In a dramatic turn of events fit for a movie, the woman’s husband has dropped the complaint that served as the basis for the lawsuit. In a widely circulated video, the spouse, Bhaskar, told reporters in Telugu that he was unaware that Mr. Arjun would be arrested for the charges against him.
He said, “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”.
Pushpa 2 Stampede
Following the wildly popular actor’s allegedly unannounced entrance at the theater screening “Pushpa 2: The Rule,” the stampede broke out. As the mob pushed and jostled one another to get a glimpse of Allu Arjun, a 35-year-old mother was slain and her nine-year-old son was hurt.
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.
The police claim that Mr. Arjun got at the theater at 9:30 p.m. Hundreds of people flocked to see him when word spread that he had arrived, using the main door and spending 15 to 20 minutes outside. The crowd began to be pushed back by his security crew, which made matters worse.
According to the authorities, the woman, Revathi, and her son felt “suffocated”. Police withdrew them from the mob, administered emergency first aid, and transported them to a nearby hospital.
By this point, Mr. Arjun had entered the theater, but the crowd in the lobby was still growing.
BRS, BJP React
BRS leader KT Rama Rao, whose party lost badly to the Congress in the Telangana poll, responded harshly to the arrest, calling it the “pinnacle of insecurity of rulers!”
“I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun garu 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. Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra…”
Shortly after, Mr. Reddy replied that he and his government had nothing to do with the actor’s arrest. “No political reason to be read into… all are equal before the law,” claimed the politician.
“Deeply Heartbroken”, Allu Arjun Said
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.”
Additionally, Mr. Arjun vowed to cover the boy’s vital medical expenditures and announced ₹25 lakh in support for the woman’s family.
Many people expressed their disapproval of the fatal stampede and demanded that celebrity gatherings be subject to more stringent controls in order to prevent future catastrophes.
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