South Indian film superstar Allu Arjun was granted interim bail today, December 13, after being arrested in connection to a tragic stampede that resulted in a fatality during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4.
The incident left a 39-year-old woman, Revathi, dead and her young son critically injured.
Arjun was taken into custody by a task force team from the Hyderabad police on Friday morning. Video footage of the arrest shows the actor sipping his coffee and briefly speaking to his wife and son before being escorted into a police vehicle.
The Telangana High Court granted him interim bail for a specific period, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The stampede occurred when Allu Arjun made an unannounced appearance at the theatre, drawing a huge crowd eager to catch a glimpse of the star.
The sudden surge in the crowd, compounded by poor crowd control, led to the tragic incident. While authorities rushed Revathi and her son to the hospital, she was declared dead on arrival.
In response, Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder due to negligence and lack of proper event management.
Arjun later expressed his condolences to the family and extended financial support of Dh110,000 to help cover funeral costs. “It’s a very unfortunate incident, and my heart goes out to the family affected,” he stated.
Revathi’s husband, Bhaskar, expressed his willingness to withdraw the case, stating that he did not hold Arjun responsible for the tragedy.
“Allu Arjun has nothing to do with my wife’s death,” Bhaskar said, as reported by NDTV.
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Arjun’s colleagues, including co-star Rashmika Mandanna and Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan, have also rallied behind him, calling for a balanced view of the incident and recognizing the lack of responsibility for safety protocols solely on the actor.
The tragedy has sparked a larger conversation about the need for more stringent safety measures at events involving high-profile celebrities. Arjun, reflecting on the incident, emphasized the importance of fan safety.
“For every actor, the love of fans is a blessing, but ensuring their safety must always come first,” he said. He has vowed to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.