Actor Allu Arjun requests Telangana HC to dismiss case over stampede death during movie premiere

After a woman was killed in a stampede during a preview of the popular movie “Pushpa 2: The Rule” at the Sandhya theater on Dec 5, actor Allu Arjun requested that the police case against him be dropped.

He told the Telangana High Court that he took the appropriate safety measures by informing the police department and Sandhya theater management about his plan to visit the venue well in advance of the Dec 4 premiere.

The film was released on Dec 5.

Since Allu Arjun and other VIPs were expected to be there, the theater management asked the police to help control the crowd two days before his visit.

A stampede at the Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad on Dec 4 claimed one life, bringing tragedy to Arjun's eagerly awaited movie “Pushpa 2: The Rule.”

A 39-year-old woman, identified as Revathi from Dilsukhnagar, lost her life in the premiere event, and her nine-year-old son, Sri Tej, was critically injured.

The woman went to the premiere with her husband, Bhaskar, and their two kids.

A complaint was filed against him at the Chikkadpally police station.

"On the day of the incident, police, including senior officials like DCP and ACP, were present at the scene to oversee security arrangements and manage the crowd,” Arjun's counsel informed the court.

“Given the proactive steps taken by the actor, in conjunction with the presence of police who were tasked with ensuring safety, it is evident that no criminal liability can be attributed to him," the counsel added.

The counsel also told the court that police frequently filed a formal complaint against the actor without first determining the facts and circumstances and that the accusations against him were false and inaccurate.

"The FIR against the actor is an abuse of the process of law and not on a factual or legal basis. Allowing the proceedings to continue would result in unnecessary harassment and irreparable harm to the actor, tarnishing his reputation without a just cause," he alleged.

“Pushpa 2: The Rule,” directed by Sukumar, is a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster "Pushpa: The Rise," which was a huge hit in India.