This is an archive article published on December 14, 2024
Pushpa 2 screening stampede case: Allu Arjun released after spending night in jail
According to sources, the jail authorities had not received the bail order until Friday night, which is why the actor’s release was delayed.
Written by Sreenivas Janyala
Hyderabad | Updated: December 14, 2024 04:53 PM IST
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Actor Allu Arjun's comments came after the CM accused Arjun of defying police orders and not only visiting the theatre, but not going away from the theatre when instructed by the cops. (PTI)
Telugu film star Allu Arjun walked out of the Chanchalguda prison in Hyderabad Saturday morning at around 6:40 am, a day after he was granted interim bail for four weeks by the Telangana High Court in connection with a stampede at the premier of his movie, Pushpa 2, earlier this month.
Despite securing bail on Friday, the papers for it reached the jail officials late in the night, owing to which he had to spend the night in the prison. The prison manual states that prisoners cannot be released at night. The High Court had also asked Arjun to submit a surety of Rs 50,000.
The actor was arrested on Friday morning from his house in Hyderabad. Drama unfolded after as the interim bail order came when the police were taking Arjun to the Chanchalguda prison as a lower court had remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.
A stampede at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, during the premiere of Pushpa 2 on the night of December 4, had left 39-year-old M Revathi dead and her nine-year-old son in critical condition.
A case was registered at Chikkadapally police station against Arjun, his security team, and the management of Sandhya Theatre, based on a complaint filed by M Revathi’s husband, M Bhaskar. Police said the case was filed under BNS sections 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) r/w 3(5) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt).
Friday also saw an exchange between the Sandhya Theatre management and the police. The former claim they had submitted a letter seeking police bandobast for the premiere.
The police, however, responded that they receive many requests for bandobast citing visits by political personalities, celebrities and religious programmes. Police said the organisers did not meet any officer in person and “simply submitted the letter in the inward section”.
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“He (Arjun) came to the theatre, came out from the sunroof of his vehicle and started waving to the public gathered there. This gesture attracted a lot of the public towards the theatre’s main gate. At the same time, his private security started pushing people to make way for his vehicle. His team was intimated to take him back citing a large public gathering, but they didn’t act on it, and Allu Arjun was there inside the theatre for more than two hours,” the police statement said.
“Therefore, it is clear that adequate police bandobast was in place, (and) it was his actions which led to this unfortunate incident, in which a woman died, and her son is still unconscious on a ventilator even after nine days of the incident,” it added.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
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