Telugu film actor Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with a stampede that occurred during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2 on December 4, 2024, at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad. The tragic incident resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman, M. Revathi, and left her son critically injured.
According to the police, the actor, his security team, and the theatre management are all under investigation for their roles in the chaos that ensued. A case has been registered under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) r/w 3(5) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. The police stated that they were not informed in advance about the arrival of the film’s team at the premiere, which contributed to the lack of crowd control measures.
Officials reported that when Allu Arjun arrived at the theatre around 9:30 pm with his personal security, the crowd surged to get closer to the actor. The security team allegedly pushed back the public, intensifying the already volatile situation. Inadequate crowd management by the theatre’s management and the lack of a separate entry and exit for the actor’s team were cited as factors contributing to the stampede.
At the time of filing the FIR, Hyderabad Police Deputy Commissioner Akshansh Yadav assured that stringent action would be taken against all responsible parties. The Sandhya Theatre’s owner and two employees had already been arrested for their roles in the incident.
Allu Arjun had approached the Telangana High Court, seeking to clear his name from the FIR, but his petition has yet to be heard. He was taken into custody by officials from the Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Task Force and the Chikkadpally police station. He is expected to be presented before a magistrate later today.
The victim, Revathi, was reportedly attending the premiere with her family because her son was a fan of Allu Arjun, making the loss all the more tragic for her family.
This news report is curated with insights from multiple reliable news sources.