Telugu actor Allu Arjun will be charged for the stampede that erupted outside a Hyderabad theatre and left one woman dead on Wednesday, after he arrived without prior intimation for the premiere show of his movie “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, police said on Thursday.

Besides the actor, the management of Sandhya Theatre will also be charged for not making any “additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd”. 

There was no immediate reaction either from Mr Arjun nor the theatre management till the time of filing this report. 

In a statement, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said “there was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors team that they will be visiting the theatre…”

The top cop said there was no separate entry or exit for the actor and his team, even though the theatre management was aware of their arrival. 

A 35-year-old woman died and her nine-year-son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as a huge crowd jostled at the film theatre to catch a glimpse of Mr Arjun, who arrived with music director Devi Sri Prasad for the screening on Wednesday evening.

Police said that as a heavy crowd rushed ahead, the theatre’s main gate collapsed, prompting the security personnel to resort to lathi charge to control the mob. Despite efforts to maintain order, the stampede turned fatal.

The woman was identified as Revathi and her son was identified as Teja. Teja is believed to be in a critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment. The family has demanded accountability from the threatre management, and sought a response from the actor on the incident. They have also demanded that Mr Arjun provide them with support. 

Police said a case has been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the basis of a complaint by the woman’s family. “Stringent action as per law will be taken against all the persons responsible for the chaotic situation inside the theatre leading to the death of a person and injury to others,” the top cop said.

Hyderabad:

The husband of a 35-year-old woman, who was killed during a stampede that broke out at a film threatre during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun’s “Pushpa 2: The Rule” in Hyderabad, on Thursday said he “cannot bear the loss of his wife”.

Bhaskar, the husband of the woman Revathi, said his family had decided to watch the premiere show only because his nine-year-old son is a huge fan of Mr Arjun. The nine-year-old is now in hospital due to asphyxiation.

“Our son, Sri Teja, is an Allu Arjun fan… We came to the movie only for him. Everyone calls our son ‘Pushpa’. But I cannot bear the loss of my wife…,” Bhaskar said.

The incident took place on Wednesday night, when a large number of Mr Arjun’s fans thronged Sandhya Theatre to have a glimpse of the actor, who arrived with music director Devi Sri Prasad for the screening.

Police said that as a heavy crowd rushed ahead, the theatre’s main gate collapsed, prompting the security personnel to resort to lathi charge to control the mob. Despite efforts to maintain order, the stampede turned fatal.

Revathi and Teja, who were also trying to enter the theatre, suffocated and fell unconscious, police added.

Bhaskar, a resident of Dilsukhnagar, said the police initially performed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on his son, who regained consciousness. Both his wife and son were rushed to Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital, where the former died. He said his son is in a critical condition.

The couple’s seven-year-old daughter, who was also accompanying them, sustained injuries in the stampede.

‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, directed by Sukumar, is a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ and is scheduled for release across 10,000 screens in multiple languages. Plans for a 3D version were scrapped due to delays in post-production, although screenings are set to proceed in 2D and 4DX formats.

The film stars Mr Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, with Fahadh Faasil reprising his role. Amid the hype, ticket prices were hiked in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, resulting in petitions in courts. The Telangana High Court has allowed the release to proceed despite objections.