The Hyderabad police on Friday arrested Tollywood ‘Icon star’ Allu Arjun in connection with the tragic death of a woman during a stampede at the Sandhya Theatre. 

The incident occurred on December 4, 2024, during the premiere screening of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule, where a large crowd gathered to see the actor, leading to chaos.

Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, CV Anand, officially confirmed the arrest of Telugu actor Allu Arjun in connection with the Sandhya Theatre stampede case.

The Telangana HC is scheduled to hear Allu Arjun’s plea seeking to quash the FIR soon.

A 35-year-old woman died and her nine-year-old son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation. Following the incident, an FIR was filed against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management. The case has been registered under under Sections 105 and 118 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Chikkadpally police station, based on a complaint lodged by the deceased woman’s family.

On Friday, a team of police officials from Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad came to Allu Arjun’s residence in Jubilee Hills and took him into custody. He was shifted to the police station, where he would be questioned, the police said.

Following Allu Arjun, his father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy also arrived at the Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad.

TV visuals showed the Tollywood ‘icon star’ being taken in a police vehicle, amid tight security.

“A 35-year-old woman died and her nine-year-old son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation during a stampede-like situation at a film theatre in Hyderabad during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun’s “Pushpa 2: The Rule“, police told Hindustan Times.

The incident took place on the night of December 4 when a large crowd of fans thronged the Sandhya Theatre at the busy RTC Crossroads to have a glimpse of the actor.

The deceased has been identified as Revathi, according to police. She was accompanied by her son, Sri Teja, who also suffered from suffocation and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital, where he is recovering.

In response to the tragedy, Allu Arjun had previously announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh to Revathi’s family. He has since approached the Telangana High Court seeking to cancel the FIR against him. The court is expected to hear his plea soon.

Source: Hindustan Times
--Agencies