Popular Indian actor Allu Arjun spent a night in custody following his arrest in connection with a deadly stampede at a screening of his latest film that claimed a woman’s life and left her young son critically injured. The incident occurred during the Dec. 4 premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad, when the 41-year-old actor’s surprise appearance triggered a surge of fans that led to the collapse of the theater’s main gate. A 35-year-old woman named Revathi died in the resulting chaos, while her 8-year-old son was seriously hurt, according to AP News.
Police charged Arjun, his security team, and theater management with culpable homicide not amounting to murder following a complaint from the deceased woman’s husband. The charges stem from their failure to inform authorities about the actor’s planned appearance, which resulted in unexpected crowd sizes, the outlet reports.
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During questioning that lasted approximately four hours, investigators probed whether Arjun “was aware about Reavathi’s death” and if “Sandhya Theatre convey[ed] him about the permission not being given,” News18 reports. The actor was also questioned about CCTV footage from the incident.
Police reports detail the sequence of events: “The Pushpa-2 actor used the main entrance and spent 15-20 minutes outside. When more and more people gathered, Allu Arjun’s security team started pushing the crowd back,” which authorities say “worsened the situation,” per the outlet.
Congress member of the Legislative Assemblyย (MLA) Bhupathi Reddy has been particularly vocal in his criticism via News18: “The party don’t consider him as a hero…he is just an actor and is doing business in Telangana. A mother has died, a child is in hospital…instead of going there he is making allegations on police and the Chief Minister. He should apologize. He has done a crime as no permission was given by the police to him.”
While a local court initially ordered Arjun to spend 14 days in jail, the Telangana High Court granted him bail within hours. However, “prison authorities did not receive a copy of the bail until late Friday,” forcing the actor to spend one night in custody, reports AP News.
Following the tragedy, Arjun wrote on X that he was “heartbroken by the tragic incident.” The actor offered financial assistance of $29,000 to the victim’s family and committed to covering medical expenses for the injured child. Additionally, the film’s producers, Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar, delivered compensation of approximately $58,000 to the bereaved family, with Telangana Minister for Roads & Buildings and Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy present for the transaction, according to News18.
The controversy has led to further incidents, including vandalism at Arjun’s Jubilee Hills residence, prompting the actor to shield his home from view with white sheets, per the outlet. His bouncer, Anthony, has also been arrested and “will be taken to the theatre for recreation of the crime scene.”
The theater’s owner and two employees have also been arrested in connection with the incident. The tragedy highlights a broader issue, as deadly stampedes frequently occur in India due to inadequate facilities and limited safety protocols at heavily attended events.
