Andhra Pradesh HC quashes election code violation case against Allu Arjun

In a major relief for Telugu star Allu Arjun, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has quashed a case filed against him by the police for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the state’s Assembly election earlier this year, Times of India reported. The case was filed in May 2024 after Arjun’s visit to the residence of Shilpa Ravichandra Kishore Reddy, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) candidate and then-sitting MLA in Nandyal, drew a large crowd. Reddy, a close friend of the actor, was also named in the FIR.

When Arjun visited, hundreds of people gathered outside Reddy’s home and as Arjun and Reddy stepped onto the terrace, the crowd began chanting “Pushpa,” referencing the actor’s blockbuster movie, for over an hour, prompting Arjun to acknowledge them with a wave. This interaction led to allegations of an MCC violation. Following the actor’s visit, the Special Deputy Tehsildar of Nandyal lodged a complaint with the Nandyal Town police, asserting that Arjun lacked the required authorisation from the constituency’s Returning Officer for any election-related activity, and that the crowd’s size raised public safety concerns, disrupting law and order. On this basis, the police filed charges under IPC Section 188 (Disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant). The FIR also noted that Arjun violated election protocol and breached Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 144 (assembly of more than four people) and Section 31 of the AP Police Act.

Check out pics from Allu Arjun’s visit to Shilpa Ravichandra Kishore Reddy’s house in Nandyal here:

Clicks from Icon star @alluarjun’s Nandyal Visit Yesterday 🌟 #AlluArjunAtNandyal pic.twitter.com/zABvd6EJTe

— Team Allu Arjun (@TeamAAOfficial) May 12, 2024

Last month, The Hindu reported, Arjun filed a criminal petition in the High Court seeking to have the case dismissed under Section 482 of the CrPC (Saving of inherent powers of High Court). Arjun had similarly supported Reddy in the 2019 elections too. Though Reddy won that race, he lost to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate NMD Farooq this year. Arjun’s public support for Reddy also stirred some family tension, as his uncle, Pawan Kalyan, was running in the same election as a Janasena Party (JSP) candidate in opposition to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party. Pawan ultimately won and was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Arjun, who was last seen in director Sukumar’s Pushpa: The Rise (2021), which earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor. He will be seen next in its sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule, which will hit the screens on December 5.