Telugu actor Allu Arjun appeared before a police team at 11 am today, a day after a notice was issued to him in this regard. Police sources indicated that the investigation team is trying to establish a timeline of events that occurred after Allu Arjun left his home after 9 pm on the night of December 4 to go to Sandhya Theatre, where a large crowd had gathered to attend the premiere of Pushpa 2. According to sources, this would help the police build their case and describe the sequence of events in detail in the chargesheet being filed in connection with a stampede at the movie hall. A 39-year-old woman, M Revathi, died in the stampede, and her nine-year-old son is critical. The FIR registered in the case names Arjun and the Sandhya Theatre owners. Arjun, who was arrested on December 13 and released on bail shortly after, was issued a notice on Monday to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Chikkadpally Zone). The Notice for Appearance, issued by the SHO of Chikkadpally police station, states that one of the conditions of the interim bail given to him is that he shall cooperate with the investigation. “The case is under investigation and your presence is quite essential before the undersigned officer to elicit answers from you about the incident and if necessary for visiting the scene of offence, in order to ascertain the true facts,” the notice states, requesting him to appear at the police station in the interest of justice. Arjun was accompanied by his lawyer Ashok Reddy, father Allu Arvind and father-in-law K Chandrashekar Reddy. The actor has been locked in a war of words with the police and the ruling dispensation, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. While the CM and the police say Arjun did not comply with orders on the night of the stampede, the actor has denied this and said attempts are being made to tarnish his reputation. An iconic photograph of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi having Kwality ice cream continues to grace the restaurant’s walls.
