Telugu actor Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with a tragic stampede that occurred outside a Hyderabad theatre last week, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old woman. The incident took place during an unscheduled appearance by the actor at a screening of his new film, ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
Hyderabad Police have filed charges against the 41-year-old star, his security team, and the management of the Sandhya Theatre. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt.
The stampede erupted as a massive crowd surged to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun and the film’s music director, Devi Sr Prasad, who made an unexpected visit to the theatre. In the chaos, a woman lost her life, and her nine-year-old son sustained injuries.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand stated, “There was no intimation from the side of theatre management or the actors’ team that they would be visiting the theatre.” He also noted that the theatre failed to provide separate entry or exit points, despite being aware of the actors’ arrival.
In response to the tragic incident, Allu Arjun expressed his sorrow on social media platform 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.”
The actor has pledged ₹ 25 lakh in assistance to the deceased woman’s family and has committed to covering the medical expenses for the injured boy, who is currently in critical condition.
