Pushpa 2: The Rule actor Allu Arjun has been remanded to a 14-day judicial custody following his arrest earlier on Friday in the Sandhya theatre stampede case. The actor was taken to the Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad on arrest, and the Nampally court remanded him. The Telangana High Court is set to hear the actor's plea.
TV visuals and videos on the internet showed the actor being taken in a police vehicle, amid tight security.
What happened at Sandhya theatre?
The incident took place on the night of December 4, outside the Sandhya Theatre at RTC X Roads in Hyderabad. Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and the rest of the film crew arrived to an already crowded theatre for the first showing of the film. Their arrival triggered a fan frenzy, which led to a stampede that claimed the life of a woman, and injured her nine-year-old son.
The deceased woman was identified as Revathi, 39, from Dilsukhnagar who came to watch the movie with her husband and two children. She was administered CPR and rushed to hospital immediately but died of injuries. Her son, Sri Tej, was also taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries.
Arjun, his security team, and the theatre’s management was slapped with charges under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The husband of the deceased lodged a complaint based on which FIR was filed. In the complaint, the husband, Bhaskar blamed the security staff of Allu Arjun for the loss of his wife and hospitalisation of his son. The police proceeded to book cases against Sandhya theatre staff and made arrests for failing to make suitable arrangements for the actor. Allu Arjun and his staff were also booked by the police.
In the aftermath of the death, the actor had to face criticism. The actor expressed regret over the incident and assured financial support to the family of the deceased. The police have booked the actor under various sections of BNS 105 and 118 which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years Imprisonment. The Chikkadpally police have brought the actor to their station from his residence in Jubilee Hills. It has been learnt that the actor’s family is upset with the way the police arrested the actor. The actor will undergo medical tests after which he will be produced before the court. Allu Arjun has already approached Telangana high court to quash the FIR.
(With inputs from Rahul Devulapalli)