Actor Allu Arjun Arrested Days After Death Of Woman In Stampede At 'Pushpa 2' Screening In Hyderabad

Telugu cinema star Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with the stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre last week that resulted in the death of a woman.

The stampede broke after the hugely popular actor made an unscheduled appearance at the theatre showing his new film 'Pusha 2: The Rule'.

The actor was taken into custody from his residence in Jubilee Hills and brought to Chikkadpally Police Station.

The actor's father - well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind - and other family members were reportedly present when he was arrested, NDTV reported.

The Hyderabad Police had earlier registered a case against the 41-year-old actor, along with members of his security team and the management of Sandhya Theatre.

On 11 December, Allu Arjun approached the Telangana High Court, seeking orders to quash the case.

Charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt were filed.

The investigation now will focus on two questions - did Arjun have police permission to appear at the theatre that was holding a special showing of his 'Pusha 2: The Rule', and did he have permission to interact with fans outside the theatre, which is in an area home to other cinema halls.

The stampede claimed the life of a 35-year-old woman and left her nine-year-old son injured as fans scrambled to see Allu Arjun, who arrived unannounced at the theatre with music director Devi Sr Prasad.

According to the Police, Allu Arjun reached the theatre at 9.30 pm, entering through the main gate and spending around 15-20 minutes outside.

The gathering swelled as fans rushed to see him, and the situation escalated when his security team attempted to control the crowd.

The woman, identified as Revathi, and her son felt "suffocated", the police said. They were pulled out of the crowd by police who performed emergency first aid and shifted them to a nearby hospital.

Arjun, by this time, had reportedly gone into the theatre, but the crowd had continued building in the lobby.

Reacting to the tragedy, Allu Arjun expressed his sorrow on X, stating, "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."

Arjun also announced assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the woman's family, and also promised to take care of the medical expenses of the boy, whose condition was critical.

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