Hyderabad: South superstar Allu Arjun, who was earlier arrested from his residence in Hyderabad in connection with the tragic death of a woman at Sandhya Theatre during the screening of Pushpa 2 this month, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody after being produced in court.
The incident, which resulted from a massive crowd surge during the actor’s visit to the theatre, had raised serious questions about the lack of prior intimation from his team and the theatre’s failure to ensure adequate security measures.
The actor was detained at his residence on Friday morning and taken to the Chikkadpally police station for questioning. The charges against him include Section 118(1) and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Allu Arjun’s lawyer argued in court that the actor had neither the intention nor the knowledge that his visit to Sandhya Theatre during the screening of Pushpa 2 would lead to such a tragic mishap. As such, the lawyer contended that a case of culpable homicide was not applicable, and at most, negligence could be considered. He further said that the essential elements of criminal intent — such as causing bodily harm — were absent, as the victim’s death resulted from asphyxiation caused by the crowd surge, not any deliberate act by the actor.
A large crowd gathered outside the theatre in hopes of catching a glimpse of the film’s lead actor, Allu Arjun, who attended the screening alongside music director Devi Sri Prasad. As fans surged toward the venue, chaos ensued, causing the theatre’s main gate to collapse. In the ensuing panic, a 35-year-old woman tragically lost her life, and her 9-year-old son sustained serious injuries. Despite efforts from law enforcement to control the crowd, the stampede resulted in a fatal outcome.
