Hyderabad: Top Telugu actor Allu Arjun was on Tuesday grilled by police for over three hours when he appeared before them for questioning in connection with the death of a woman in a stampede during the screening of ‘Pushpa-2’ here on December 4.
Arjun reached the Chikkadpally police station accompanied by his father Allu Aravind and lawyers a little after 11 AM and the questioning was held till 2.45 PM. A police team led by Central Zone DCP Akshansh Yadav questioned the actor.
“He cooperated with the Police fully. If required, they said they’ll call him again. They (the police) wanted to question him and he cooperated. They treated him very well,” Arjun’s advocate Ashok Reddy told PTI.
The interrogation centred around Allu Arjun’s entry into the theatre, exit and role of bouncers in crowd controlling near the star, sources close to the development said.
The police have also posed questions whether he was aware of the permission being denied for his visit. The police also asked him about the details of his private security. The police alleged that bouncers, who accompanied the star when he arrived for the film screening, allegedly pushed fans leading to the stampede.
The police also asked him about his knowledge of the tragic incident when he was watching the film. He was also asked about the sequence of events.
“The police have recorded the statement of Allu Arjun with regard to the case,” sources told PTI.
After the questioning, Allu Arjun returned to his home at posh Jubilee Hills in the city. The actor held a press conference on December 21, describing the stampede incident as purely accidental and denied the allegations made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on the “roadshow” before film screening.
Hours after Reddy slammed the actor for holding a roadshow and waving to the crowds at the theatre, without referring to anyone, the ‘Pushpa 2’ star refuted the allegations and said it was not a procession or a roadshow.
Tight security arrangements were made at the Chikkadpally police station in view of the star’s appearance. Heavy police deployment was made, while police also imposed restrictions on traffic on the roads leading to the police station.
The actor was issued a notice on December 23 to appear before the police at 11 AM today.
The police, in their notice, said his presence is essential before the SHO of Chikkadpally police station to elicit answers about the stampede incident and if necessary for visiting the scene of offence, in order to ascertain the facts.
Earlier in the day, security was stepped up at his residence at posh Jubilee Hills here and the actor waved to the media before leaving for the police station. Allu Arjun has earlier said he would cooperate with the investigation.
The notice to Allu Arjun on December 23 came a day after police commissioner C V Anand released a video showing the sequence of events at the theatre.
A 35-year-old woman died during the stampede at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4 and her eight-year-old son was hospitalised.
Following the incident, the city police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under different sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint lodged by the deceased woman’s family.
Allu Arjun, named as accused no 11, was arrested by the city police in connection with the death of the woman on December 13. The Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail on the same day and he was released from a prison here December 14 morning.
