Allu Arjun Arrested in Connection with Stampede at 'Pushpa 2' Premiere
Hyderabad witnessed a dramatic turn of events on Friday as popular Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with a tragic stampede during the premiere of his latest film, Pushpa 2: The Rule. The incident occurred on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, resulting in the death of a 39-year-old woman and leaving her young son critically injured.
The police arrested Allu Arjun from his residence in Jubilee Hills around 11:45 a.m. He was taken to the Chikkadpally police station, where his statement was recorded. Fans and supporters gathered in large numbers at the station, creating a chaotic situation that the police had to manage. Prominent figures like his father, producer Allu Aravind, and producer Dil Raju also arrived to show their support.
The city police have filed a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the management of Sandhya Theatre under sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the police, the theatre management failed to take adequate security measures to handle the massive crowd, nor did they arrange separate entry and exit routes for the actors and film crew despite being informed about their arrival.
After his statement was recorded, Allu Arjun was taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical check-up and later produced in the Nampally Sessions Court around 3:20 p.m. The court ordered 14-day judicial custody, and by 5:30 p.m., the actor was transferred to the Central Prison at Chanchalguda.
However, by 6:10 p.m., the Telangana High Court granted interim bail to the actor. Despite the bail order, technical delays meant Allu Arjun had to spend the night in Manjeera Block 1 of the prison. Jail officials confirmed that he would be released on Saturday morning.
The arrest has sparked a political debate, with parties like the Congress, BRS, and BJP weighing in on the incident. Many political leaders questioned whether Allu Arjun alone could be held responsible for the tragedy. On social media, the incident became a trending topic, with thousands of fans expressing support for the actor.
Hyderabad Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Vikram Singh Mann, stated, “We are following the procedure.” The police emphasized that the lack of crowd management and security arrangements by the theatre management significantly contributed to the stampede.
The incident has left fans and the general public shocked, as the tragedy overshadowed the excitement surrounding the release of Pushpa 2.
