Allu Arjun breaks silence after release from jail in ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede case

On Friday, Telugu actor Allu Arjun was arrested from his home after a fan died in a stampede during an early screening of his new film Pushpa 2: The Rule. The actor was booked 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.

Though the actor was granted bail on Friday night, he was only released from Chikkadpally police station on Saturday morning due to a delayed bail order. Speaking to the media outside the station, Arjun reassured his fans, “I thank everyone for the love and support. I want to thank all my fans. There is nothing to worry about. I am fine.”

He further added that he would fully cooperate with the authorities before sharing his condolences to the deceased woman’s family. "I am a law-abiding citizen and will cooperate. I would like to once again express my condolences to the family. It was an unfortunate incident."

What happened during the special screening of ‘Pushpa 2’?

The incident occurred 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. The husband of the deceased lodged a complaint based on which FIR was filed.

On December 6, Telangana cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy announced a ban on benefit shows following the stampede.

Arjun also offered to extend monetary and emotional support to the family in a video released on X (formerly Twitter) two days after the incident.