Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister-actor Pawan Kalyan recently addressed the Sandhya Theatre stampede case, for which actor Allu Arjun was arrested earlier in December.

While speaking to the press at Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh), Kalyan said, “The law is equal for all, and I do not blame the police in such incidents, they act with public safety in mind. That said, the theatre staff should have informed Allu Arjun earlier about any issues. Once he sat in the seat, they should have instructed him to vacate it if necessary. It would have been better if someone had visited the victim’s family earlier on behalf of Allu Arjun. Revathi’s death in this incident has deeply shocked me. They turned what was already lost into an even greater tragedy.”

Kalyan further said, “We should have conveyed earlier that we are all here to support the family. There should have been a sense of regret for the mistake, even if it happened without their direct involvement. There is a clear lack of humanity in this matter.”

Addressing the public sentiment, he added, “The people’s anger stems from the absence of such a gesture. Arjun, too, feels the pain of knowing that someone lost their life because of this incident. It is not fair to make Allu Arjun solely responsible for the incident... Sometimes, decisions are dictated by circumstances. In the past, even Chiranjeevi used to watch movies with his fans. Otherwise, he would wear a mask and go to the theatre alone.”

The stampede occurred during the premiere of Pushpa 2 – The Rule, where a woman died. Her son, 9, is still hospitalized and in a critical condition.

The Sandhya Theatre stampede, which claimed a woman’s life and left her son critically injured, has escalated into a full-blown political firestorm. Allu Arjun stands accused by Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Akbaruddin Owaisi of mishandling the chaos during the Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere. In response, the actor has fired back, saying, “It feels like an intentional attempt to assassinate my character.”

Reddy alleged that despite police permission being denied, the actor visited the theatre where Pushpa 2 was screened on December 4. Even after the death of a woman in a stampede, the actor did not leave the cinema hall, prompting the police to force him out, the CM alleged.

Reacting to the allegation, the actor said it was not true and, in fact, the police were clearing the way for him and he reached the venue under their directions. “Had there not been permission, they would have told us to return and I am a law abiding citizen. I would’ve followed that. Nothing of that sort of information was given to me,” he said. 

----------------------------------------

Allu Arjun denied the allegations levelled against him during a discussion in the state assembly over the death of a woman, who was killed during a stampede-like situation at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4. The actor said that it was nothing but demeaning and an attempt at his “character assassination”.

Arjun said, “I am not here to blame anybody, or any political party. There is a lot of miscommunication, misinformation and wrong allegations. I am feeling extremely humiliated by the character assassination. I have been here for 20 years and I have earned this respect and credibility. It has been sabotaged in one day.”

He expressed sorrow over the incident and said it was purely an “unfortunate accident”. He added, “No one is at fault here. Despite everyone’s good intentions, an unexpected tragedy occurred. I am getting hourly updates about how the kid is doing. He is progressing. The only good thing is that the boy is getting better,” he said about the eight-year-old boy, Sri Tej, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital after sustaining severe injuries in the incident.

After Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy accused Arjun of going to the theatre during the screening of his latest release, Pushpa 2: The Rule, without obtaining police permission and organizing a roadshow while heading to the theatre, he denied the charges: “I strictly followed the police instructions and did not organize any procession. My car came to a halt a few yards before the theatre due to the crowd and I had to step out of the car to wave at the crowds only to ease the situation.”

Hyderabad: Telugu superstar Allu Arjun was released from Chanchalguda prison in Hyderabad early Saturday after spending a tense night behind bars, despite being granted interim bail by Telangana high court in connection with a stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2 - The Rule on December 4.

The movie hall drew a massive crowd to see the actor, leading to chaos and the death of 37-year-old Revathi and critical injuries to her son. The stampede sparked widespread public outrage and raised questions about safety protocols at large public events. Arjun was arrested Friday along with three others in connection with the overcrowding at the theatre and the subsequent stampede. Two other accused were also granted interim bail.

While HC granted interim bail for four weeks late Friday night, jail authorities delayed his release, citing procedural norms. "The court's order reached the prison almost at midnight. However, it is the established practice in all state jails to release prisoners the same day only if the bail order is received before 8 pm. Any order received after 8 pm is processed the next morning at 5 am," said a prison official. 

His lawyer said: "We will pursue legal action against this illegal detention." Prison officials said they would provide an explanation if the court sought one. Arjun exited the jail through the rear gate to avoid the crowds of fans gathered at the main entrance. Jail sources said Arjun was treated like any other inmate during his detention. He shared accommodation with two other accused, ate regular prison food, and made no special demands.

Arjun said: "It is unfortunate that a woman lost her life. I will personally support the family." Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud defended the police action and dismissed claims of favouritism, despite Arjun's family connection to CM Revanth Reddy. "Everyone is equal before the law," he said.

-----------------------------------------

Allu Arjun addressed the media at his residence in Hyderabad on Saturday, after his release from prison in connection with the death of a fan at the premiere of his film, Pushpa 2 - The Rule on December 4. He thanked everyone for their love and support and said, “We are extremely sorry for the family (of the deceased). We will be there to support them. It was purely accidental. My love and sympathies are with them. I was inside a theatre watching a movie with my family and the accident happened outside. It’s of no direct connection to me, purely accidental and unintentional. I have been going to the same theatre for the last 20 years and have been there more than 30 times but never has an accident like this happened.”

Prominent figures from the South film industry came to meet Arjun at his residence. The visitors included actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Naga Chaitanya, producer Dil Raju, and director Koratala Siva. Actors Rashmika Mandanna, Nani and others took to social media to express support.

In a press release, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Zone, Hyderabad City, talked about a letter, circulating in the media, requesting “bandobast” for the event on December 4. The police said that it is beyond their resources to provide “bandobast for every event”.

They also claimed that the crowd was well in control till Arjun arrived: “He came out from the sunroof of his vehicle and started waving to the public. This attracted a lot of the public towards the theatre’s main gate. At the same time, his private security started pushing people (away) to make way for his vehicle. His team was intimated to take him back citing a large public gathering, but they didn’t...It is clear that adequate police bandobast was in place, it was his actions which led to this unfortunate incident.”

The police also denied misbehaving with Arjun at the time of his arrest:“...He requested some time to change his clothes. He went inside his bedroom; the police personnel waited outside.”

In a statement to PTI, Arjun’s lawyer Ashok Reddy said that his client’s detention was “illegal” and they would “take legal steps”.

Arjun, who was arrested on Friday afternoon, secured interim bail from the Telangana High Court the same evening, but the jail authorities did not release him until yesterday morning.

Arjun’s wife, Allu Sneha Reddy, had an emotional reunion with him as he returned home after spending a night at the Chanchalguda jail. In a video circulating on social media, she was seen waiting outside for Arjun with their children (son and daughter). When he reached near, Sneha gave him a tight hug and got emotional.

At the premiere of Pushpa 2 - The Rule at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre on December 4, a stampede-like situation arose after the actor’s arrival. While a 35-year-old woman died in the incident, her nine-year-old son is in a critical condition. Arjun was named as an accused in the FIR filed by the deceased’s husband.

Actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday, in connection with a stampede-like incident at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre that resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman and left her nine-year-old child in a critical state. After being taken into custody from his home, he was taken to Gandhi Hospital (Hyderabad) for a medical check-up and then produced at Nampally court. The stampede-like incident took place on December 4, at the premiere of Arjun’s film Pushpa 2: The Rule, when his impromptu arrival caused overcrowding.

Meanwhile, videos and pictures have emerged online where the actor is seen leaving with the police authorities, appearing calm. His father, producer Allu Aravind was also seen accompanying him.

A video showed Arjun saying, in Telugu, to a police official during his arrest: “Arresting me is not an issue, but barging into my bedroom and not allowing me to change my clothes is a bit too much.”

Meanwhile, actor Varun Dhawan commented on Arjun’s arrest at an event. “Safety protocols are not something that an actor can take on himself. We can tell people around us,” Dhawan told reporters. “The incident that took place is very painful. I feel very sorry and send my condolences. But at the same time, you can’t blame one person for this,” he added.

Hyderabad: Police registered a criminal case on Thursday against Telugu actor Allu Arjun, his security entourage and the management of Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre over a stampede during the premiere of “Pushpa 2 – The Rule” the previous night, resulting in the death of a 32-year-old mother of two. The victim’s nine-year-old son was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Investigators said there was no prior intimation from the theatre on RTC X Roads or Allu Arjun’s team about the actor’s presence at the premiere, which purportedly caused the crowd crush. “Allu Arjun came to Sandhya Theatre with his personal security guards. The fans tried to enter the theatre with him. His guards started pushing them, which aggravated the situation,” DCP (central zone) Akshansh Yadav said.

Deceased Revathi’s family filed a police complaint blaming the actor, his security guards and the theatre staff.

“Stringent action will be taken against all the people responsible for the chaotic situation,” the DCP said. “They are being charged under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt/grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of BNS.”

The DCP said Revathi possibly died due to suffocation rather than physical injury caused by the stampede.

---------------------------