Pushpa 2 stampede victim planned family outing for premiere because son was Allu Arjun fan, husband tells police
Husband recalls chaos during which he was separated from his wife and son: ‘Don’t know whether to arrange for her funeral or attend to him’
4 min read
Allu Arjun during the premiere show of his film 'Pushpa 2', in Hyderabad. (PTI Photo)It was M Revathi, 39, who insisted that she and her husband Bhaskar take their son Sreethej, 9, to watch Telugu star Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre at RTC Crossroad on the day of its release. The child was a huge fan of the actor, frequently referring to himself as ‘Pushpa the fire’, after the actor’s eponymous Pushpa Raj in the first part of the movie, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’.
Revathi, a stay-at-home mother, was crushed to death in the stampede that ensued at the theatre during the movie’s premiere around 9:30 pm Wednesday. Shreethej is critical and undergoing treatment at the KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, unaware that their mother is now no more.
She leaves behind her husband Bhaskar and seven-year-old daughter.
The police have booked the actor, his security team and the management of Sandhya Theatre on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and grievous hurt under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In his statement to the police, Bhaskar, an employee at a private firm in Dilsukhnagar, where the family lives, recalled the events of the night when he and his family watched the show before the premiere. Allu Arjun was expected to attend the show, along with the cast, and there was a massive crowd outside the theatre to catch a glimpse of the star.
Just as the family came out, news spread that the actor had just arrived, and Bhaskar and his daughter were separated from the rest of the family. According to his statement to the police, when Bhaskar called his wife’s phone, she told him they were still inside. But when he called 30 minutes later, he found there was no answer.
Worried, Bhaskar dropped his daughter at an acquaintance’s house and returned to look for Revathi and Shreetej. After several hours of futile searching, he contacted the police, who showed him videos of the stampede that had occurred inside the theatre and directed him to a nearby hospital.
At 2 am, Bhaskar learnt that his wife had died and their son was on life support at KIMS Hospital. “Neither I nor the relatives who arrived overnight did not know whether to make funeral arrangements or attend to my son,” he said in his statement.
Doctors treating Shreetej at KIMS Hospitals said in a statement that the child had been brought into the emergency room in a “semi-conscious” state.
“The condition is still critical, and the patient is currently under intensive care with continuous monitoring as the medical team works to stabilise him. The child’s critical condition is believed to be a result of prolonged unresponsiveness, likely causing severe hypoxia and potential lung injury from aspiration or contusions. Prompt CPR provided by bystanders and the police was instrumental in reviving the child, enabling further medical intervention,” the statement said.
Akshansh Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of central zone, Hyderabad, told The Indian Express that the case against the actor and others had been based on a complaint by the family “and is being investigated”.
“Stringent action as per law will be taken against all the persons responsible for the chaotic situation inside the theatre leading to the death of a person and injury to others,” the DCP said.
In a public statement, the DCP claimed that Sandhya Theatre had failed to inform the police that Allu Arjun and other cast members were to come to the theatre. A police statement from B Raju Naik, Station House Officer (SHO) of Chikkadpally police station was also similarly worded, saying that while a large crowd had gathered outside, “there was no intimation to police from the side of theatre management or actors’ team that at what time they will be visiting the theatre”.
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