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Allu Arjun arrest: From stampede at Pushpa 2 premiere to Rs 25 lakh ‘goodwill gesture’; a complete timeline of events

Pushpa 2 stampede case: Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with a woman's death at the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule. Here's a timeline of events.

Actor Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 is all set to cross Rs 1500 crore mark.

Allu Arjun arrest, Sandhya theatre stampede case: Actor Allu Arjun, star of the blockbuster hit Pushpa 2: The Rule, was arrested on Friday in connection with the death of a woman during a special screening of the film some days ago. A stampede-like situation broke out during the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, while the actor was present. The chaos resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman and caused injuries to a child. Allu Arjun vowed support for the woman’s family, and expressed his grief in a video message. Here’s a timeline of events.

The Incident

On December 4, Allu Arjun attended a special screening of Pushpa 2 at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad. The victim was identified as M Revathi, who had attended the premiere with her husband, M Bhaskar, their son, and their seven-year-old daughter. According to the police, the stampede occurred when the theatre gates, unable to withstand the pressure of the surging crowd, collapsed.

Also read – Pushpa 2 box office collection day 8: Allu Arjun’s blockbuster breaks Rs 1100 crore barrier worldwide, will overtake RRR and KGF 2 this weekend

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Bhaskar described the events in an interaction with the media. “When Allu Arjun arrived, the crowd suddenly swelled, and I got separated from my wife and son. My daughter and I were outside, while Revathi and our son were inside. Initially, when I called, she said they were inside, but later her phone was switched off. As my daughter cried, I dropped her off at a relative’s place and went back to find my wife and son. By then, they were gone. Some people showed me a video, and I recognized them. I was told they were taken to Durga Bai Deshmukh Hospital. Around 2 PM, I was informed that her body had been moved to Gandhi Hospital as she had passed away,” he said.

Mythri Movie Makers’ Statement

Following the tragedy, the film’s producers, Mythri Movie Makers, issued a statement on social media. They posted on December 5, “We are extremely heartbroken by the tragic incident during last night’s screening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the young child undergoing medical treatment. We are committed to standing by them and extending all possible support during this difficult time. With deep sorrow.”

The Charges

A case was filed against the Sandhya Theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his security team following the incident. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Central Zone, Hyderabad Police, Akshansh Yadav told The Indian Express, “A case has been filed under BNS section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) r/w 3(5) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt) at Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint of the family members of the deceased person. It 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.”

Allu Arjun’s Statement

Allu Arjun broke his silence on the matter the following day. In a video posted on social media on December 6, he wrote, “Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time. I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally. While respecting their need for space to grieve, I stand committed to extend every possible assistance to help them navigate through this challenging journey.” The actor also shared that he is donating Rs 25 lakh as a ‘goodwill gesture’ to the family and will bear their medical expenses.

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At the film’s success meet on December 7, Allu Arjun once again spoke about the tragedy, and said that it took him hours to process it. “A very unfortunate incident took place at Sandhya Cinema. We are extremely sorry for that. I had no idea about it until the next morning. When I heard about it on December 5, I was in shock. It took me hours to process it and respond to the incident. I couldn’t process it psychologically. It took me around 10 hours. We all blanked out when we heard the news. Sukumar got extremely emotional,” he said at the event.

The Arrest

On December 13, Allu Arjun was taken into custody by a team from Chikkadpally police station, where the case was registered. Meanwhile, Pushpa 2 is breaking records at the box office, emerging as the biggest hit of Arjun’s career, and one of the biggest Indian blockbusters of all time.

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